The Reason to Live
by FFxina
Summary: Angst/Drama: He was found in the streets and taken in, raised as a one of Japan's most prosperous profits, a host. So, how will he teach the art of sexual seduction to a completely reckless and purely innocent high school girl who has had yet to even hold hands?
1. Prologue

**A/N: These are small explanations of what will come in the end of my story. **

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Character Settings:**

**Ulquiorra Schiffer, 26**

"I have committed the most feared sin and I have spoken the most brutal words...

I have felt the most insecure happiness and without decision, fate guided me toward you..."

**Orihime Inoue, 17**

"If I had never met you, I wouldn't have cried all day...

If I had never met you, I wouldn't have fallen apart...

If I had never met you, I wouldn't have torn myself apart...

But, if I hadn't met you, I would never be who I am today.

Thank you."

**Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, 26**

"I'll wait for that day...

I'll wait for that day when you can rise.

I'll wait for that day when you'll finally realize and forgive yourself.

I'll wait for that day when you can smile again."

**Ichigo Kurosaki, 17**

"I'm sorry that I'm not him

I'm sorry I can't make you smile like he did

I'm sorry you can't love me like you loved him,

But I will promise you my shoulder,

I will promise you my heart,

And I will promise to make you smile every day."

**Tatsuki Arisawa, 17**

"Your pain and anguish,

Your tears and worries,

Your happiness and excitement,

Your hope and love...

They all come down from here."

* * *

**A/N: Even though you aren't interested in drama/romance/angst/reality stories I ask you to give it a try at least. Because unless you are a heartless arrancar such as Ulquiorra, I promise you that you will like my story. **

**R&R always appreciated!**


	2. An Old Friend

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING FROM OR OF BLEACH**

**A/N: Hi. Just so you guys won't be so confused about the plot, i'll give you guys a basic background.**

**Setting:** Takes place in Shinjuku Japan.

**Characters:** The Espada are hosts, gang members, prostitutes, or drug dealers. The number system in the anime works the same way in my story where the lower the number, the higher of a status each Espada has.

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Reason to Live**

* * *

**Chapter 1: An Old Friend**

_RRRRIIIIIIIINNNNG!_

The last school bell of the day noisly rang out across the empty hallways of Karakura High. Only seconds later, the once vacant halls flooded with more then a hundred bustling and shouting students. Orihime sighed as she quietly rose from her seat; ready to pack her belongings and leave. She needed her own space to clear her head today, even though nothing was particularly on her mind.

Ever since then, it was always like this. She was always on her own; but ironically, she needed it. She needed to spend all the free time she had by herself. Because even as odd as it was, it was the only time she could think about the past and comfort herself.

She thought about all the possible things she could squeeze into her afternoon. Maybe she could go eat some ice cream, have a stroll in the park, go watch a movie, go to the library, and then, maybe, just maybe if she was brave enough, she would go and visit _him. _She had sworn to herself, if she were to ever cross paths with him again, she would hold her head high, unfaltered. She would prove to him that he was of no importance but merely a short lived memory that had soon been forgotten. But every time she would rage and promise herself to show him how much stronger she had become, reality always proved her wrong. She was still weak. She knew, deep inside her heart, she knew she would never be able to snort and spit at him. She knew instead of being strong, she would shriek and scream and rip out her own heart to show him the pain and sorrow it had to bear; she would completely break.

Orihime sighed in silence and quietly shuffled her papers.

She began to finish packing her school bag until a familiar presence appeared in front of her.

"Yo!"

Orihime glanced up from her pile of books and saw the man standing in front of her with a concerned look; her unrequited love. Standing next to him was of course, the beautiful, short-tempered, naïve, and dark-haired girl. Orihime noted that the petite girl was wearing a fairly concerned look as well.

"Kurosaki-kun! Kuchiki-san!"

They both looked at each other for a split second, as if they were silently discussing on a vital matter. Orihime wondered if they had noticed her fake enthusiasm which was making her uncomfortable. Finally, the dark-haired girl spoke out, worry evident in her voice.

"Are you busy today, Orihime?"

Orihime flinched. She had a feeling that they were going to ask her that. She already knew that Kurosaki-kun and Rukia-san had noticed her absence around her friends quite recently these days, but how else could she create her own time and space without being rude?

She simply nodded

"I'm really sorry, Kuchiki-san, Kurosaki-kun, but you see, I am awfully busy today!"

Ichigo and Rukia stared at each other in silence until Ichigo finally spoke up.

"Oh...well. It's just that..."

He began to rub the back of his neck in an awkward manner.

"Well, you see me and Rukia are worried about how you're-"

"ORIHIME!"

Ichigo was abruptly cut off when an echoing set of running footsteps pounded loudly in the hallway and toward their classroom, shrieking Orihime's name. Orihime quickly yet gracefully stuffed the rest of the papers into her organized folders and turned around to meet the puffing individual; thanking fate for its unexpected interruption.

"Tatsuki-chan!"

Orihime brightly drew out her best heart-warming smile. Tatsuki stared at her best friend with wide-eyes, huffing and gasping at the lack of air yet urgently trying to choke out precarious words. Worried at the sudden intrusion of panic and haste in her friends face, Orihime questioned her with concern.

"…Tatsuki-chan?"

What seemed like several attempts in order to speak, Tatsuki finally gasped out two words.

"He-He's here!"

"...Who?"

Without explanation or hesitation, Tatsuki roughly grabbed Orihime by the wrist and whipped around.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to explain! Ichigo, Rukia! I'm going to borrow Orihime for the rest of the day, sorry!"

"W-What?! Wait! I'm busy today! I have to atte-"

With that, before Orihime could finish her blatant protest, she was dragged out of the classroom and down the hall. Tatsuki carelessly bumped into students and grunted at the discomfort as she tried her best to quickly and efficiently escape the building, momentarily looking behind her shoulder in order to confirm that it was Orihime's wrist she had grabbed.

Orihime winced at the pain from Tatsuki's strong grip, a frown evident upon her delicate features. She wanted an explanation right then and there and with an obvious look of displeasure, Orihime questioned Tatsuki impatiently while being dragged around the school campus.

"Can you please explain to me why we're out here, and in such a hurry?"

Tatsuki ignored her furiously whipped her eyes around the bustling campus.

"Uhm…Tatsuki-chan?"

"Come!"

Orihime's patience wore thin as she intended to get answers before Tatsuki could drag her around anywhere any longer.

"Tatsuki-chan!"

Orihime forcefully pulled her wrist away from Tatsuki's sticky grip and looked at her with an unpleasant face of aggravated confusion.

"Please, Tatsuki-chan. I'm going to miss my tutor class and my college-entrance exams are only a couple weeks away! I was supposed to run home and get-"

"Yo."

Orihime stopped mid-sentence and swallowed her words. She recognized that voice however, she denied it. She didn't want to confirm who it belonged to because, she already knew.

Orihime stopped dead-track upon her own breathing and froze; her mind repeating words of denial and trying its best to convince her to simply walk away, right from that spot, without looking back.

"Long time no see, Orihime Inoue."

Orihime looked upon Tatsuki with eyes as wide as saucers, her face full of panic and uncertainty. Tatsuki simply faced her with a sigh of relief and a smile.

"Hey, Grimmjow."

Her heart stopped. Disbelief and pain engraved in her eyes. As much as her screaming concious told her to run away from the unwelcome person, she slowly turned her gaze around and behind her, hoping till the very last second, none of it was true.

"Yo."

Orihime's eyes filled with tears, dangerously about to spill about on the edges. She choked on her own breath as her voice cracked, whispering his name in silent denial.

"...Grimm...jow..?"

Grimmjow looked down upon the girl and smirked.

"Heh, Missed me?"


	3. Lost Hopes

**Chapter 2: Lost Hopes**

* * *

Orihime sat in awkward silence in Grimmjow's car, evidently uncomfortable with the situation. It was awfully silent and nothing seemed to be able to stir the quiet tension between the two, until Grimmjow finally fessed up and spoke.

"So, uhm, how's life been?"

"Why are you here?"

"Watcha' mean?"

Orihime sighed.

The awkward silence had returned.

"Look, I just came here to check up on ya."

"It's unnecessary."

This time Grimmjow sighed.

He shifted his weight and ran a hand through his electric blue hair as a sign of irritation. Without further say, Grimmjow roared the engine of his silver Audi back to life and steered his car out of the parking lot. Orihime perked up from her momentary haze at the sudden movement as she demanded Grimmjow with an answer.

"Grimmjow! Where are we going?"

"Well, since ya' seem to be so pissed about seeing a long lost friend, Imma' take ya out for some fun tonight startin' with dinner."

Orihime silenced herself. She knew Grimmjow well enough to know he always had his way whatsoever, therefore arguing any further would be futile. She looked upon Grimmjow with silent disagreement, wanting to go home; however, Grimmjow didn't even bother to awknoledge her existence at this point. He was too busy concentrating on the road ahead of him as he had turned up the music to max volume, jamming to the thundering beats. The rest of the car ride was without conversation as Orihime concentrated on the blurred figures rushing past her window.

* * *

Tatsuki sighed.

She had been pondering about the consequences she would have to meet with Orihime later on and the explanations she would have to give. She knew that the next time she would have to face her best friend, she would not be too happy.

_But it's the best I can do for her..._

_She's been so unlike herself these days...it's too hard to watch._

Tatsuki quietly reassured herself as she fumbled for her keys in front of her apartment door. Finally finding the right key, she silently shoved the door open and clicked on the lights as she set her school bag down on the floor.

_It's the best I can do for her..._

_It's the best way to prepare her..._

_It's the only thing I can do for her...before..._

Her hands began to shake. Her vision began to blur as an unwelcome haze of tears dangerously threatened to fall.

_I can't believe she hasn't told me. _

_I can't believe it._

Tatsuki fell to the ground on her knees and buried her face into her hands, sobbing uncontrollably, drowning out the vibrant city sounds of a lively afternoon in Shinjuku, Japan.

* * *

"Ya sure ya ain't gonna eat nothin'?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Come on! Ya ain't fat and I believe you can use some weight. I mean ya kinda' lost all your weight up here."

Grimmjow began to motion towards his own chest in circular movements with a mocking perverted appeal. He had expected a light giggle from the girl however she just simply turned her head away and looked out the window of the restaurant. She had lost her smile and he didn't recognize this Orihime.

"Haha! Just kiddin' woman. I bet ya still own up to like a full C or a D-"

"Grimmjow..."

Grimmjow stopped talking, startled by the girl's low and dry voice.

"...Yeah?"

Orihime just remained silent. She only continued to look out the window of the flashing city lights with a distant glaze upon her eyes. Grimmjow was confused. Sure, this girl had changed over time and he thought it was based on a maturity level. However, her distant looks and extremely vast change in character threw him completely off. Where had all of her laughter gone? She rarely laughed or even tried to smile anymore and all he could do was sit in uncomfortable silence blaming himself.

Grimmjow unconsciously tapped his fingers on the dinning table, waiting for Orihime to finish, or rather to give him some clarification. He'd as hell be pretty glad if she could stop being so glum and return back to the old Orihime that Grimmjow remembered. This girl sitting in front of him felt unfamiliar, almost as if he was sitting with a stranger.

"Oh, it's nothing. Sorry about that!"

She turned to face the blue haired man with a cheerful smile.

_Huh? What? _Grimmjow frowned.

"Actually, coming to think about it, I'm really hungry! You definitely said that you were going to make my day today so you better be prepared! I have so many things I want to do and I'm actually glad I have company. You better have a packed wallet Grimm-kun!"

Orihime giggled on her own as she motioned and called for the waitress.

Grimmjow stared at the girl with high suspicion. She was currently busy consulting with the waiter of a possible menu consisting of red bean paste. Like this, she was Orihime. She was still that young energetic clumsy and bright girl he had remembered. It was nice, leaving things like this. Seeing her like her old self; her old self before he had to leave her, with _him._

* * *

_Ding-dong_

_..._

_Ding-dong_

_..._

_Ding-dong ding dong ding dong ding dong_

_..._

_Ding-dong ding-dong ding-dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong_

_"SHIT! WHO THE FUCK IS IT?"_

_Grimmjow furiously flung open the door to his apartment as he angrily snarled at the suspect who had been ringing his doorbell like a madman on fire. _This better be fuckin' good. _He thought to himself as he stood in the doorway, only half awake._

_A young purple haired female stood before him. Tired, he slowly eyed her up and down until a sudden smack of realization hit him._

_"What the hell are ya doin' here, Tatsuki?"_

_"Grimmjow, I have a favor to ask of you."_

_He stood before her, face contorted in aggravation and confusion._

_"What the fuck are you talkin' bout? It's barely fuckin' 6 o'clock in the morning, plus I haven't seen you or ya friend's ass in almost a damn year!"_

_Dressed in the all too familiar uniform of Karakura High School, Tatsuki stood in silence as she stared into the ground._

_"Grimmjow, can you come back and take care of Orihime for a while?"_

_"What?"_

_"Can you...come back for Orihime?"_

_"Wait, what the fuck? The hell are you talkin' bout? I don't have any fuckin' time for ya highschool bitches any more so fuck off. Find another babysitter for her or something. I mean really, what the fuck is this shit suppose-"_

_Without warning, Tatsuki violently grabbed Grimmjow by his polo shirt and forcefully brought her face merely inches away from Grimmjow's as she hissed and shouted in pure rage._

_"How the FUCK can you say something like that? After causing her all that pain? After leaving her along with that other fucking bastard, how the FUCK CAN YOU SAY THAT?"_

_Grimmjow pulled out of the girl's rough grip and slapped her hand away. It was surprising enough that this purple hot-head had shown up in front of his house on a random Friday morning and intrude in on his time to sleep. Plus, he never expected to see any of "her" friends ever again, especially ever since that incident had occured. Simply put, Grimmjow was pissed as fucking hell._

_"Get the fuck off me ya crazy bitch! What the fuck is wrong with ya and how the hell did ya even figure out where I live? Shit! Bargin' into my fuckin' house at six o'clock in the fuckin' morning like a crazy ass bitch and screamin' at me like some holy fuckin' -"_

_"...Please."_

_All of Grimmjow's rantings and rows of profanity came to a jerking halt when he thought he had heard wrong. His outburst of rage came to an abrupt halt as his attention snapped back to the girl in front of him. He watched as her choking grip losened on his shirt and her arms fell limp beside her once threatening erect form._

_"Please Grimmjow, I beg you."_

_If it weren't for the current situation, Grimmjow would have gaped in comic shock; his jaw hitting the ground. This girl never begged. Even if it were for her own life, she would never beg._

_"..."_

_Silence hung in the crisp morning air as Grimmjow just stood there. He stood there as her head dropped and her gaze bore into the ground. Her form began to shake as she began to clench her hands into painful fists. Grimmjow stared as he noticed tiny droplets of water fall from her face and stain the ground. _

Wait a minute. Was she fucking crying? Okay, what the fuck. Something was bullshitting wrong here. This girl with purple hair never, and I mean never cried even if the fucking world were to come to an end.

_Grimmjow leered and sighed, silently closing his eyes in defeat._

_"...Shit...what do you want?"_

* * *

"Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow snapped back from his trial of thoughts and looked back at the bright orange haired girl in front of him. He was met with a gentle smile as she went back to stuffing her face with almost everything that she had ordered from the menu.

Grimmjow snickered.

"Watcha' wanna do after ya finish stuffin' your face?"

With little crumbs of bread plastered around the area of her mouth, she brought her thin finger up to chin as she turned her gaze toward the ceiling.

"Oh well, let's see. I would love to go and watch a movie but if nothing good is on, we could go eye shopping as well! Maybe even before you could take me to the nearby cafe they recently opened and buy me some coffee for dessert! I heard they had some new excellent red bean paste cake-"

"I'm sorry, Orihime."

"Ah? Excuse me?"

"...I'm sorry, about that time when we had to leave you."

Grey orbs locked with eccentric blue ones as the sudden shock of silence stunned the air. Without further words nor eye contact, Orihime gently set her fork down, looking away from the man as her hazed gaze returned. Grimmjow held his breath before he carefully spoke again.

"I think I should tell you something about what happened that night between you and Ulqui-"

"Grimmjow.."

Orihime softly interrupted Grimmjow before he could finish his statement. She was no longer gazing out the window but now facing him, slightly cocking her head to the side as a sad smile dawned upon her face. Grimmjow waited as he slightly quirked an eyebrow at the girl.

"..."

He watched as the smile she wore upon her lips began to slightly quiver. She was hesitant many moments as her lips slightly parted. He knew her face was smiling yet her eyes were quietly weeping an unexplainable pain, something he didn't quite understand. Grimmjow patiently sat in silence as his curiosity grew under the suddenly dense atmosphere.

It was then her two words shattered everything around them.

"I'm sick."

Grimmjow's eye twitched. He didn't quite get that.

"...What are you talkin' abou-"

"I'm dying Grimmjow. I won't live past a year."

* * *

He sat there, in between two glamorous women, with an empty gaze that stared at nothing but the dark black scarlet wall in front of them. He felt a hand creep up his inner thigh as a middle aged woman began to press her volumptuous body against his frame.

"My, you are quite the rare handsome man I haven't seen anywhere."

His bright jade eyes slowly turned toward the woman sitting beside him, without flinching back as she began to trace her long fingers up and down his tattooed face; resembling two green streaks running down from the bottom of his eyes and down to his chin.

"You don't seem so responsive but that doesn't matter. I'm just going to buy you for the beauty of your face."

He just sat there staring at the woman from the corner of his eyes without moving or speaking. His face hidden from all emotion.

"I think I could use your company tonight."

The woman began to slowly lean in with the obvious intention of a deep kiss. Then, as a split second of conflict and disagreement flickered in his pale features, the women roughly turned his face to meet hers as she forced her way on him. Without a fight, he complied. The woman then quickly broke the kiss as she pulled something out of her purse.

"Here, I've decided to borrow this young man tonight for two grand. Take it, Mr. Aporro."

A bystanding young waiter with the hair color of blooming sakura quietly bowed as he took the raw cash from the woman. He then offered her a golden key.

"Yes your madam'. This will be your room number. Ulquiorra, please gracefully escort and service this woman to the best of your ability."

The pale man slowly rose to his feet as he took the key from the waiter. He then quietly stood in the doorway as the woman finished grabbing her belongings, tagging after the pale raven haired man. Ready to leave, the waiter bowed as he held the door open for their exit before giving the older woman one last bow of gratification.

Along with the echoing of organized footsteps, he stood in silence as he looked upon the distant pair, furrowed his eyebrows and whispered his pain.

"...I'm sorry... Ulquiorra..."


	4. The Beginning

_The story begins on one serene night consumed within the darkness._

_The streets then were empty and lifeless, barely illuminated by the hollow flare of flickering street lights. The snow silently whispered in the wind before kissing the ground and disappearing without a trace. _

_From afar, everything was peaceful. The city was as vibrant and lively as any other day as the cacophonous sound of cars and people traveled in the air, reaching the deepest untouched parts of the city. Below the lively facade, through the distance and into the dead of the night, stalked a white figure of a young boy. He was dressed in an oversized black sweater and thin summer jeans; his clothes tattered and torn. His complexion was as pale as the snow with hair as black as the night. _

_As the night grew deeper, the young boy continued to drudge through the frigid snow, forcefully dragging one foot on after the other. He limped in silence as his gaze grew heavier and darker with each footstep. And then, stumbling on his own feet, the young boy tripped and fell upon his face into the snow with a quiet gasp._

_He lay still without movement._

_How many hours had it been? How long had it been? How long had it been since the last time he had eaten? How long had it been since the last time he had slept? How long? How long had it been, since the last time he had felt wanted?_

_The snow continued to ghost over him as it lighlty began to build on his figure. Minutes had soon turned into hours as the young boy could now no longer feel his own hands. His emerald gaze heavily watched as a tint of purple and blue bloomed within each finger. This was the end of his pathetic story, abandoned on some dirty street reeking of garbage, he would take his last breath. However, he didn't care. This was better for him. At least, within his last minutes, he would be able to ask of a favor to never be born again. If it was going to end, he'd rather just disappear like the snow, leaving no trace of existence behind. _

_His eyelids grew heavier. His breath growing shorter as his body could no longer feel the burning bruises; the icy numbness quickly taking over. However, for one last time before leaving this world, he wanted to take one last look up at the magical night sky. Hardly being able to hold onto his conscious anymore, the young boy gazed up at the empty sky and smirked. _

_Even God had abandoned him._

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Beginning**

* * *

_Ddiri ddiri ddiri ddiri ddiri ddiri ddiri ddiri ddiri_

"Uhng..."

A small lump on the bright pink bed began to groan and shift around as the noisy alarm set off. Then from under the sheets slipped out a fair hand as it helplessly prodded around the nightstand.

"Uhn...gh..."

_Ddiri ddiri ddiri ddiri ddiri ddiri ddi-_

The noisy alarm was finally set off from the many lousy yet successful attempts by the anonymous lump under the sheets. Then, as the covers shifted, arose an elegant figure. Her hair radiated a vibrant and vivid orange color, cascading down her shoulders and resting slighlty above her waist. Her skin was as fair and beautiful like vanilla as it glowed under the morning sun.

Heavily rubbing the sleep out of her ashen eyes, she then dragged herself up and out from the cozy sheets, quickly making her way towards the bathroom. She turned the water on just above a scalding temperature before slipping out of her white transparent night gown, stepping into the shower with a happy sigh.

It was the beginning of a new second semester in Karakura High.

She quickly finished brushing her hair and finally finished off by clipping on her most precious blue pins above each ear. With a satisfied smile, she stood in front of the mirror to check for any last imperfect adjustments before quickly grabbing her school bag and heading out the door.

"Oh! I almost forgot!"

She hastily slipped out of her shoes once more to head back to her room where she briefly stopped in front of a portrait of a young man.

A portrait of a young man with a warm smile, softly gazing at the girl.

"I'm sorry I almost forgot to say goodbye!"

She smiled brightly.

"I hope you have a nice day and don't forget to wish me luck brother! See you later!"

With that, she glanced up at the wall to find the clock impatiently ticking away, only leaving Orihime with less than 20 mintues before the first bell. She gasped before she immediatly grabbed her shoes and ran out of the house, stopping momentarily by the staircase to slip them on. In less then a blink of an eye, she had sprinted down and out of her apartment building and into the busy morning streets of Shinjuku, Japan.

* * *

The weather was perfect. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, the birds were chirping, and the clouds were drifting; only momentarily interferring with the sun's warm rays to cast its shadows over the town.

Orihime was sprinting down the sidewalk with a slice of toast hanging out from the side of her mouth.

"Yo! Orihime!"

At the sudden call of her name, she jerked her head behind her shoulder in order to identify the caller. Being unable to locate a familar face anywhere, she shrugged it off and decided to concentrate on getting to school on time. She jerked her gaze back to the front until...

BANG!

She ran into something and she ran into it hard.

Orihime yelped as she fell backwards at the sudden collision against something or someone. For a brief second before she had closed her eyes at the impact, she had caught a very short glimpse of what she had run into. It was a man. A very pale man with strange streaks of green running down the sides of his face.

Orihime whimpered as she clutched her forehead and furiously tried to rub the pain away. For a split second, she had forgotten about the man until realization smacked her once more, immediately informing her to apologize for her clumsyness. Without another moments of hesitation, she immediatly hopped up and began to apologize with every bow.

"Gomenasai, gomenasai! I'm really sorry, I am so sorry! I wasn't looking and I'm very sorry! I'm so sorr-"

She continued to bow with every apology, evidently at the brink of crying.

She didn't even have the guts to look at the man in front of her. What if he was a part of a scary gang? What if he pulled out a samurai sword right then and there and tried to harm her? Oh no! Would she never again be able to taste her favorite warm bean paste bread ever again?

The man lifted himself off from the ground in silence and dusted his shoulders off. He then straightened out his outfit and submerged his hands into his pockets. Then, without another single word, he turned on his heel and walked away.

"-ry. I'm really sorry, I should be more careful! I am so very very sorry, I apolo-"

"Yo! Inoue! You alright?"

Hearing a familiar voice, the one she had heard earlier, Orihime stopped her ranting and came face to face with two welcome peers.

"Eh? Kurosaki-kun! Kuchiku-san!"

"Are you alright? We just saw what happened when you ran into that really freaky guy! Did he do anything to you? Are you hurt? What did he say?"

Ichigo examined every crook and nook of her body for injuries as she stood there blankly, answering his questions half-heartedly while trying to reassure the panicked orange-haired boy.

"No, no, I'm alright. Really Kurosaki-kun! I'm fine! Please, don't worry!"

Orihime stood there, forcing a nervous laughter by cocking her head slightly to the side. Finally, putting the situation at ease, Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows and asked Orihime with worry.

"Why were you in such a hurry anyway?"

And then, as if realization had slapped her across the face, she shrieked.

"Oh no! Kurosaki-kun! Kuchiki-san! We're going to be late for school! It's the beginning of the semester and we can't be late for our first class! It would be taboo!"

Ichigo and Rukia stared at each other momentarily before staring back at Orihime with confusion.

"Orhime-chan. I believe you have something mistaken. My brother has informed us that school clearly begins at 8 A.M."

"Hai! That's why we are going to be late! It's almost 8 o'clock in less then a couple of minutes, Rukia-san!"

Sighing, Rukia looked back up at Ichigo who had had confusion written over his face. Ichigo snickered when he realized how much of a mess Orihime actually looked like. Her hair was out of place, bundled in messy knots around the ends; her blue hair pins loosely clipped on her hair, treatening to fall out; her school uniform wrinkled and untucked; her bag barely hanging upon her shoulder, widely open. Her confused expression and exhausted form only added to the finishing touches of a victim barely surviving a thunderstorm.

"Inoue, do you know what time it is?"

Ichigo asked her with a slight smile playing on his lips out of sympathy.

"Sorry to break it to you but it's only half past 7."

"EHHHHHHH!? Are you sure about that Kurosaki-kun?!"

Orihime asked, or rather, yelled at Ichigo. She shot gazes back and forth at Ichigo and Rukia, silently hoping for one of them to defy the situation. Rukia sighed heavily for a multiple amount of times before finally glancing up at Orihime and giving her that one slow deliberate nod. Orihime finally sighed in defeat, closing her eyes and dropping her head as a dark cloud of depression roamed over her.

She had hoped to foresee the calm and peaceful days that she would spend this semester as a junior; no drama and nothing troublesome. She would only close in on her studies and spend most of her free time studying under a blooming cherry blossom in Karakura Park. A man would be sitting next to her. A man with orange hair; deliberately tutoring her. Whispering closely into her ear. Gliding his hand over hers, entwining their fingers. And then, slowly, pulling in her for that one ki-

Yeah right.

She couldn't believe how the start of her new semester started out like ripping through a lightening storm, but she had survived it. Really, she couldn't ask for more since reality had already decided to give her a fantastic way to start of the new semester.

And that would start off with a new alarm clock.

* * *

"HIME-CHAN!"

Orihime had just slid open the classroom door and walked in, practically praying for a peaceful school day until, she had found herself forcibly plunged in between the enormous breasts that belonged to her former classmate, Rangiku Matsumoto.

"HIME-CHAN! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL SUMMER?!"

The overly curvaceous woman began to bounce the smaller girl in between her breasts at an attempt to hug her tighter then was humanly possible.

Orihime squirmed.

"c-n't br-e-the"

Orihime flared her arms up into the air, making an overly emphasized gesture in order to hint at her suffocation. Just then Tatsuki, Chad, and Ishida had walked into the classroom, only to find the overly busty woman suffocating their best friend inbetween her monstrous valley of breasts. They stared with wide eyes until Ishida had noticed Orihime's desperate call for help.

"Rangiku-san! Please stop such rash behavior! You'll suffocate Inoue-san to death!"

"Ah! I'm so sorry Hime-chan! I didn't mean to!"

With that, she quickly loosened her death grip and watched as Orihime gasped for air. When Orihime had genuinely recovered from the sudden attack of her two monsters, she smiled brightly.

"I missed you too, Rangiku-san!"

Rangiku's eyes began to water up as she tightly held her arms out in front of her, self sustaining herself from suffocating the fragile girl again. And just before that could happen again, the first bell rang out across the halls.

* * *

Time flew by. Already the first week of school was over and classrooms were running wild as students were meeting up with their friends and chattering on a storm about their first weekend. Usually they had classes on Saturday's as well however, the first week of a new semester was always excused.

Orihime shared her goodbyes with her fellow classmates as well. They had asked her to come along to hang with them, but she agreed otherwise and informed them of her other plans for the weekend. They easily understood and left without bothering her further more.

Classes for the first week were definitely better than Orihime had expected. She didn't exactly believe herself to be much of a book-worm, but she had to admit that she did enjoy sitting through the professor's lectures more than anything else. It gave her time to think and view the world in an unusual and different perspective.

Just as Orihime was thinking back to first day of school, she felt content. Nothing had turned out as bad as she had worried about compared to that one first bright Monday morning.

She could still perfectly relive the details of the accident.

_His face. I can still remember his pale face. _

Even though the collision was an extremely abrupt sense of physical contact, she could still remember the touch. He was cold. Even if it were for such a brief moment, she could still remember the lingering coldness that had been left on her forehead.

She temporarily seized from organizing her folders and unconsciously brought her fingers to touch her forehead. The place where the contact was met. She stood there, in front of her desk without movement, lingering her warm fingers above her forehead, as if she could still sense the icy touch. She stood in silence, expecting to feel it, however, all she felt at the tip of her fingers was a sore bruise.

She sighed.

Slowly she finished organizing and packing the rest of her books and papers until, Matsumoto suddenly slammed into the empty classroom.

"Orihime-chan!"

Surpised by the sudden intrusion, Orihime slightly sqealed, dropping her folders onto the ground. Matsumoto floated into the classroom, sauntering around the surprised girl.

"Hime-chan~~"

After Orihime finished stuffing the rest of her folders into her school bag, she looked up at Matsumoto who was practically lying on the school floor.

"Rangiku-chan. You shouldn't lie on the floor. It's very dirty."

Rangiku just rolled back and froth, creating trials of dust as she was practically cleaning the floor with her uniform and auburn hair.

"Rangiku-chan! That's dirty!"

Orihime quickly readjusted her school bag against her shoulder and held out her hands to raise Matsumoto off from the floor. All of a sudden, Matsumoto suddenly clasped both of Orihime's hands and bore into her eyes; bringing her face merely inches away from Orihime's.

Orihime just stared back. Then, she noticed how Matsumoto's expression began to change. Oh no. Oh, dear. Orihime definitely knew that look. That was the look she always gave when she wanted something and Orihime knew she wasn't going to like it. She was trapped the moment she had made eye contact.

Orihime sighed deeply as she closed her eyes.

She was going to give in.

"Rangiku-san, do you have any other plans tonight?"

It must have been magical to witness the way her face could brighten up so quickly.

"Hime-chan! We should go shopping and pick up some cute boys together tonight!"

Orihime smiled back; partly from the defeat and partly from slight excitement she had been holding in. Orihime quickly pulled Rangiku-san off from the floor and decided to do the best with what she could.

"Hurry Rangiku-san! We better hurry before all the cute clothes are all gone!"

* * *

Oh my god.

Orihime began to regret this to the core of her soul.

"..."

"Hime-chan! What's taking you so long? Hurry up and come out so I can see you!"

Orihime wanted to die. She couldn't believe that Rangiku-san was making her wear such revealing and provocative clothes in the middle of a city renown for all the perveted middle aged men. I mean, of course she objected the offer at first and tried to find her way out this one; but around Rangiku-san, such loopholes were nonexistant.

"Ano, Rangiku-san. Do I...uhm..."

The curtain to the dressing room was suddenly swung open as Rangiku invited herself into Orihime's changing booth. Out of sudden reflex, Orihime squealed and attempted to cover herself with her arms, which evidently held no significant effect.

"Rangiku-san!"

Rangiku just stood before Orihime with a look of awe and admiration.

"Hime-chan! You are so adorable! I can't believe I haven't brought you shopping any sooner!"

Orihime forced a laugh. This was a mistake and she had known it. All she wanted to do was go home and finish the chapter based on the relation of economic metaphysics and neuroscience while eating some fresh toast topped with extra sweet red bean paste.

"Let's go Hime-chan!"

Orihime was forcibly dragged out of the booth with the so-called layers of clothing that looked more like pieces of cloth glued onto her frail frame. Orihime stood awkwardly as Rangiku payed for their new "fashionable" clothing. She felt like all eyes were on her, not out of compliment, but out of scorn.

Then, without warning, Rangiku dragged Orihime out of the department store and into the street. Orihime tried desperately to pull down her skirt that kept riding up her thighs, revealing more then it possibly could. She was too preoccupied with her clothing issue to realize that they had entered another store.

_Ring_

The light chime of the bell signaled the arrival of a new customer.

Orihime was quite startled when a group of men, all dressed in slick black and white appeared, offering to take their coats, bags, and then finished by guiding them to a table with excessively polite service. Orihime suspected something wasn't quite normal but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She looked over at Rangiku who seemed to be preoccupied with analyzing the menu before her.

"Rangiku-san? I was wondering but where are we?"

"Waiter! Over here please!"

A motionless waiter that had been standing in the corner of the bar quickly strided toward them as Rangiku motioned for him to take their order. The man approached them and flipped out a check and pen, politely bowing before asking of their desires.

"Good evening. How may I be of service to two gorgeous ladies tonight?

Rangiku smiled sheepishly at him. Then, she held out her hand and struck out four fingers toward the waiter. Then, she brought her other hand out and stuck up another two fingers.

The waiter slightly readjusted his white glasses, intently staring at the curvaceous woman sitting before him that had an attitude of confidence and impudence. His pink hair was nearly a dull crimson under the dim lights of the bar as he stood for a few minutes before clearing his throat in an awkward manner due to the woman's leering gaze. Was she analyzing him?

"Ahem...thank you very much for your time and concern at Hueco Mundo. I shall be your alternative waiter during your stay, therefore any necessities or needs that are required shall be my responsibility. Please enjoy your time and please wait patiently as I requst your order for numbers four and six. Thank you and they will be right with you."

After the waiter left, Orihime looked at Rangiku full of bewilderment and confusion.

_Four? Six? Who was going to be right with us?_

Rangiku simply winked back at her friend before turning her attention back to the menu; flipping through the pages and making small comments inbetween. Orihime was puzzled. She had no idea where they were and what the purpose of this place was. It sure didn't look like a cafe nor a massage or beauty salon. She nervously gazed over at Rangiku-san who still had her face in the menu, enjoying herself.

"Ne, Rangiku-san."

"Hmm?"

Rangiku slowly turned her head toward Orihime without removing her eyes from the menu; just to let her know that she had half of her attention.

"Ano...where are we?"

"A host bar."

_Huh?_

"We're at a host bar. You know."

Orihime's grey orbs grew comically large.

"WHAT?! BUT WE'RE UNDERA-"

Rangiku practically jumped from her seat and covered Orihime's mouth with force before she could finish her obvoius outburst.

Everyone in the bar suddenly glanced over at their disturbance. All the women had stopped talking and flirting with thier partners, the bartender had stopped washing the dishes, and the hosts had stopped addressing to their women.

Rangiku hadn't noticed their leering gazes until Orihime had stopped struggling, slowly turning her gaze toward the other guests at the bar. Rangiku followed her gaze out of curiosity and realized that practically the whole bar had gone quiet, glaring over at them.

_Shit._

She had to come up with something quickly before anyone at the bar would suspect that they were underage.

While her hand was still covering Orihime's whimpering face, she started to wave her other arm around in exaggerated motions while stuttering words loudly so the whole bar could hear. Forcing laughter and sweating, she exclaimed in panic.

"Ah ha hah haha ha, what a noisy drunk. Hah hah hah..."

Rangiku turned her attention back at Orihime and spoke loudly, clear enough for the other guests to hear.

"My goodness dear! I told you not to drink so much before comming here! Such a handful you are. Hahaha..."

Orihime just sat there and stared at Rangiku's face with disbelief.

"Ahahahahah...hah..."

Then, the glasses began to clink and clatter again. The women were back to conversing and flirting with their partners as the host men were not back to addressing and pleasing their clients. Everything was thankfully back to normal.

Rangiku sighed with heavy relief before plopping back into the crimson sofa. Orihime just sat there, slightly humiliated and apologetic toward her friend for going through all that trouble. Then, as if Rangiku had read her thoughts, she slowly leaned in on Orihime's ear.

"Hime-chan! Just remember that you're in your early twenties! Alright?"

Orihime gazed at her friend and faintly nodded.

Rangiku winked back.

"Heya ladies. Good evenin'"

Orihime and Rangiku abruptly glanced toward the end of the table to find two broad men standing in front of them.

Orihime examined the first one.

She was met with extremely lucid azure eyes that seemed to sparkle under the light. The man had exotic electric blue hair and carried an extremely dense atmospheric intent for lust and dread, slightly making her anxious and caustious. However, as strange as he appeared to be, Orihime had noticed that he wasn't wearing the particular uniform that the majority of the host men were wearing at the bar.

Then, she glanced over at the other man.

She glanced up at him and halted all movement.

She felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach, dead.

She definitely knew this man, or rather, he definitely knew her.

Definitely knew that they were underage.

Without further notice, she snatched the menu from Rangiku-san and buried her face in between the elaminated pages. Rangiku stared at her for a brief second, puzzled by her sudden actions, before shrugging them off and turning her attention back toward the men. She beamed brightly and motioned for them to sit. Then, without further due, the blue haired man plopped down next to Orihime as the other stoic man quietly sat down next to Rangiku.

As they were now seated, Orihime quietly peeked over the corner of her menu. Hoping to do so without being noticed.

She sighed with complete relief when she saw the tip of azure hair sitting beside her, feeling content. Then, she looked in front of her and shrieked.

They had made direct eye contact.

It was brief contact that had only lasted a mere couple of seconds, however, she could remember him clearly. His cold and daunting aura, intimidating her and stopping her at her feet. The contact she had made with him; the ironic icy touch which radiated from his body.

She rememberd those eyes, so vividly jade. His gaze so stern and unmoving she couldn't help but shiver and shrink under it. His face as pale as the snow, no emotion painted within his soul.

She snapped back when a muscular arm on her shoulder roughly pulled her in. She slightly whimpered from the sudden force.

"What the hell ya lookin' at my girl for? Ya know her or somethin'?"

The stoic man steadily turned his cold gaze back toward the blue man.

His pale lips slowly parted, speaking for the first time.

"Yes. I believe I do."

Orihime's heart stopped.


	5. Fate's Play

**Chapter 4: Fate's Play**

* * *

**My past, I do not remember,**

**My present, I do not care,**

**And,**

**My future, I do not have.**

* * *

**A week before.**

Confetti was shot into the air. Balloons were floating around as the clinking of wine glasses and bottles of beer echoed throughout the room. All the host men and hostesses were gathered around in the lounge as they loudly congradulated with excitement.

"Let's get fucked' up and party this bitch away!"

Grimmjow held up his glass with a twinkle of satisfaction and excitement in his voice as he made a toast.

"Well fuckin' congradulations er' happy birthday, dear espada quarto."

Everybody held their glasses up and cried out "cheers!"

Ulquiorra sat on the edge of the long couch, momentarily shifting his gaze around the room. His already frowning features becoming deeper with every passing minute.

The party grew louder as everyone enjoyed themselves chatting away or going at pathetic attempts such as Nnoitora and trying to seduce the opposite gender. Grimmjow, trying at his pathetic attempts with Halibel; consequently receiving a rather serious blow upon his guts; Luppi in the corner banging his head against the table as a result from too much alcohol consumption; Aaroniero (or rather Kaien) sitting on the far other end of the table sighing as Luppi attempted to seduce the man, not in the right mind. Stark, splayed out across the other sofa, napping with his little green friend, Lillynette.

_Pathetic_

Ulquiorra sat in silence, analyzing and criticizing the other animals in front of him. Then, a figure with disturbing blue hair plopped onto the sofa beside him.

"Why the hell ya look like ya ate shit son? Come' on! Smile!"

Ulquiorra's face twitched.

Grimmjow had supposedly hosted this "surprise" party for Ulquiorra, even though he knew of Grimmjow's obvious intentions such as the enormous amount of unknown missing money from Ulquiorra's own credit card.

Ulquiorra suddenly felt an uncomfortable tug at his features and looked down at his mouth; it was stretched into the shape of a semi-smile by the two hands that supposedly belonged to the blue haired idiot.

"AHAHAHAH! YOU ARE A CUNTFACE!"

Ulquiorra smacked his hand away, annoyed.

Grimmjow continued to snicker as he swirled his cup of wine around in his hand. Ulquiorra then turned his gaze toward the blue haired idiot and quietly sighed.

"I believe I had informed you of my disinterest towards your 'surprise' celebrating by birth."

Grimmjow gawked.

"WHA! Ya never told me shit like that!"

Ulquiorra held his stoic gaze, clearly stating that he was not in the mood to be ridiculed. Grimmjow continued to sit with his dumb look until he finally decided to back down and admit with a loud smirk.

"Aight, Aight, fine, fine. I decided to thorw ya a fuckin' party you didn't want just cause I wanted to have some fun. But come'on. Enjoy the damn party ya fuckin' faggot. I'll make it up to you sonner or later."

With that quickly said, Grimmjow got back to his feet as he slowly made his way back toward Halibel, who seemed to have been unintentionally eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Missed me baby?"

Halibel slammed him in the stomach.

"Oogf!"

Ulquiorra gazed upon the idiot with detest, clearly unhappy about his rash behavior. And no, it wasn't because of how he made Ulquiorra spend more than 5 grand, but because he had caused all this ruckus and disturbance at the bar on a busy work day. Ulquiorra was already painfully packed with having to assist other women. And strangely enough, even though Aizen-sama had agreed to the hosting of this party, he knew the absense of being partly excused for the night would have consequences later.

Ulquiorra silently closed his eyes, completely dismayed and annoyed. He quickly glanced at his watch, hoping to flee the scene.

_11:35 P.M._

Ulquiorra sighed and stared at the commotion. Then, there came a light knocking at their door.

_Knock knock_

A pink headed man peeped his head inside the room; nearly bumping his white glasses into the door frame.

"Ow!... Oh! Ahem. Ulquiorra, Aizen-sama has asked of your presence."

The pink haired individual quickly glanced around the room, whereas everyone had momentarily stopped their actions in order to identify the intruder; only seconds later turning back to their entertainment.

"Oh. I can see that there has been a quite delightful party taken place in your favor."

Without further say, Ulquiorra swiftly rose from his feet and strode toward the door without looking back.

"Ey! Where ya goin' douchebag?!"

Szayzel held the door open, briefly eyeing the owner of the harsh bark. Ulquiorra slightly halted his steps and looked behind his shoulder with an impassive expression.

"That is none of your concern, Jaegerjaquez."

With that, he made his exit as Szayel silently tagged along behind him.

_Yeah yeah yeah, none of my concern as always._

Grimmjow sneered, staring at the shut door.

_Fuckin' faggot always a faggot._

* * *

Ulquiorra's echoing footsteps were followed by Szayel's until they both had reached an ominously large door. Szayzel stepped in front of Ulquiorra and knocked, until a mute murmur was vaguely heard.

"You may come in."

Szayzel pushed the door open and gestured for Ulquiorra to step inside. Ulquiorra strode into the room without hesitation and faced the man that had summoned him.

A dark figure sat in front of them; his face slightly hidden by the darkness surrounding the room.

"You may be dismissed, Szayzel."

"Yes, Aizen-sama."

With a quick bow, he closed the doors shut, leaving the men alone in private. The ominous man did not speak as he just stared at a face displaying nothing but of melancholy and sorrow. The man then rested his face into the palm of his hand as a wry smile dawned upon his features, analyzing the pale man before him.

Ulquiorra silently bowed on his knee.

"I understand that you have asked for my presence."

The abstruse man quietly pulled his hand off his face and spoke with a quaint smile.

"I have a request of you."

Ulquiorra waited for the man to continue and watched as he rose from his broad desk, sauntering around it before stopping in front of the barring gothic window. He then quietly gazed up at the moon, his features slightly illuminated by the thin ray of light seeping in inbetween the trees.

"A woman has requested of your presence tonight, and I believe you do not have any other plans."

Ulquiorra bore his gaze to the ground; a conduct of respect.

"Yes, Aizen-sama"

"Then, I believe that you are free tonight. Even though troubling as it is, she has requested of your…"

Aizen quietly turned around, meeting Ulquiorra's detached gaze, and smiled.

"...entertainment"

Ulquiorra simply nodded with a blank expression.

"Yes. I understand."

Recieving the expected answer, Aizen reached his desk again and rested his face into the palm of his hand.

"You may now be dismissed."

Ulquiorra kneeled to the ground and bowed his head for a one last brief moment before finally standing and excusing himself.

"Ah, and Ulquiorra, how was that party of yours that your beloved associates threw?"

Ulquiorra halted his movements and turned his gaze just barely over his shoulder to acknowledge the man of his attention.

"Absurd."

Without further say, he quietly exited out of the velvet room, passing by the figure of a lavender haired man who was currently leaning against the door frame, grinning at Ulquiorra.

"And what brings ya here, dear Ulquiorra-kun?"

Ulquiorra's jade eyes fell upon the other individual without interest, only for a brief second, before completely making his way out of the room and down the black hall. The lavender haired man continued to smile from ear to ear as he watched Ulquiorra leave his sight, completely aware of the fact that he had just been ignored.

"My, my, my, 'ow mean of ya to make 'im work on such lowly duties for 'is birthday, _Aizen-sama." _

The man slithered his way toward Aizen's desk with a ghastly smile stretched across his features; his eyes barely distinguishable. Aizen simply rested his face in his palm and smiled upon the other leering man who had been circling his desk. The russet spoke with a content tone, hidden of scorn and mischief.

"I believe it was simply a request, nothing more, Gin."

"Ah! But I believe that you've already collected the payment, 'aven't ya?"

Aizen simply smiled.

"My, my, my. 'ow cruel."

* * *

Grimmjow sneered.

He definitely wasn't in the mood anymore to try and fuck around with the yellow haired beauty sitting in front of him. Plus, he definitely wasn't in the mood to get fucked up anymore as he had planned to; just moments ago before that cocky ass green bastard had killed it for him.

_What he fuck is his problem? Fuckin' ridin Aizen and or something? I mean I wouldn't be really surprised and but that is a lil' disturbin'._

Grimmjow growled and kicked back in order to lay out his legs before staring at the black ceiling, pondering on the possibilities for Aizen's random request of Ulquiorra's presence. A minute or so after, he brought his wrist watch up to his gaze.

_2:55 A.M._

"Shit, better start headin' home. Too tired anyway"

With a silent grunt, he got to his feet and opened the door before yelling at the lower hosts and hostesses behind him.

"Better get this place cleaned up before all of you shits leave."

With a silent slam of the door following shortly after, Grimmjow left the building along with a slight chime of the bell. Stepping into the lonely crisp midnight air, he lit his last cigarette and disappeared into the night.

* * *

He closed the door without words as they entered the room.

A jingle of keys were set beside a cabinet as a girl with cascading black hair, pulled up into two ponytails shrieked and jumped onto the enormous bed. A man, standing by the door, just stood next to the door as he stared at the enthusiastic girl; showing no emotion. The girl quickly halted her childish measures before carefully collecting herself and sitting on the edge with a false expression of mocking shyness.

"So uhm…how do you….start?"

The man who had been momentarily staring out the window, tinted with an alluring red color, glanced back at the girl without moving away from his spot; his figure still with two hands deeply submerged in his pockets. The girl began to shift uncomfortably, impatiently waiting for an answer from the pale man.

Then, his pale lips spoke silent words.

"Are you a virgin?"

The girl looked quite taken aback; only for a mere second before replying with sheer confidence in her voice.

"No."

"Then, you must realize not to ask such pointless questions."

The girl stared at the pale man as her face slightly faltered into a queer frown.

"I asked you how you did it, not how to do it."

The man closed his eyes, hinting at the irritation. He then gazed back sternly at the girl as he commanded in a flat voice.

"Very well then, I suggest for you to strip."

"..."

The girl quietly rose herself off from the bed as she pulled her ponytails out; shaking out her messy locks. She then slowly stripped out of her stockings along with her black skirt, continously eyeing the man, back and forth. The man stood in silence, staring at the young girl without expression and movement. The girl then brought both her hands up above her breasts, reaching for that first button as she sternly locked gazes with his. She slightly hesitated before she began to undo one button at a time; all the while, never leaving his eyes. The man was leaning his frame against the cabinet, hands deeply submerged, before slowly making his way toward the girl.

She threw her collared shirt off to the side, and began to descend toward the bed; only to be followed by a taller figure slowly approaching her from the back. The bed silently creaked as the shameless girl crawled over to the end and splayed herself upon the sheets; seductively meeting vibrant emerald eyes. The man briefly sat on the edge of the bed and discarded of his own shirt, revealing his toned pale body for the female to graze upon. Seconds later, the man towered over the girl, trapping her figure in between his arms, staring down at the confident face.

The girl bore back as she softly trailed her hands down his firm abdomen, sighing at the touch of his cold skin. She shivered at the magnificent sight of pure ecstasy and lust before her, lightly tracing her fingers over his green tattoo, imprinted on his left chest. She carefully watched his jade eyes, as if waiting for a reaction. None given, she raised her head lightly off the pillow and roughly whispered into the man's ear.

"Fuck me."

He slowly lowered his face down her collar as the girl gently began to nip at his neck.

His eyes never flickering of lust or want; his voice never speaking of the other; for he simply obeyed.

For this was his duty. His job. His life.

His reason for existence.

* * *

Vibrant green eyes searched around the dimly lit room. Muffled noises of shufffling covers gently echoing against the silence as a green gaze landed upon the time near the bed on a cabinet.

_6:23 A.M._

The pale figure sighed with complete exhaustion before making his way toward the washroom to cleanse his body of the night before. Dragging his feet, mixed with the mute sound of shifting covers and clothes, he lightly stirred the silence as the girl who lay still under the covers softly groaned.

He quietly closed the door to the washroom with the light click of a lock. He then turned on the shower at his suited temperature before turning around and unconsciously meeting his own gaze in the mirror.

He stared at the man that stood before him.

His body had been covered in light green and blue bruises, showering down his neck to the side of his collarbone. His hair was messy and unkept, his face pale and ornated with green streaks running down his cheeks. He stood before another man in his reflection, a face portraying of no emotion. No pity. No shame. No greif.

He quietly turned away and stepped into the shower, needing no need of anymore reminders.

It was enough.

The man now fully dressed and dry, glanced at his sleeping client before picking up the room key and making his final exit out of the motel room. After paying the front desk, he stepped outside into the bright morning and clicked open his phone.

_7:20 A.M._

Exhausted, he closed his eyes and submerged his hands into his jeans. The organized clicking of his heels mixed into the atmosphere along with the chirping of morning birds, people shouting and horns honking. It was the beginning of another busy morning for Shinjuku, Japan while on the contrary, he called it a day and made his way home.

Even though he was excessively beat, he decided to take a detour. He needed some fresh air, just to clear his headache.

The city was restless. Small grocery markets along the streets were pulling up their metal railings, students in uniforms running around and about, businessmen and women answering their ringing cell phones, children screaming and playing with thier friends, cars cramped up on the highway, honking and yelling; the start of another typical morning in Shinjuku Japan.

With a blank and impassive look, Ulquiorra continued to walk while observing the busy streets of Shinjuku. His green gaze momentarily shifting around, percieving the bustling community, slightly absorbed.

Locked in his own thoughts, he soon turned his gaze back to the front and came to locking gazes with a girl. An orange headed girl with eyes as large and deep as saucers, illuminating the shine of a stunning ashen grey.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened at the sudden realization of what was to come.

She was running into him. And fast.

**BANG!**

He shut his eyes at the sudden impact and fell back, meeting the ground with a thud. Pain quickly shot up his back and chest at the collison. His face flickered with irritation and complete foul. If only it hadn't been a younger girl, especially in a school uniform, he probably would have executed of the imbecile to run into him during pure daylight.

Ulquiorra was already highly agitated, and needed his rest. He didn't want to create much chaos especially early in the morning; therefore he decided to lay it off, cool.

He slowly rose back to his feet and dusted himself off, straightening out his outfit and carefully collecting himself back together. He then submerged his hands back into his pockets and decided to swiftly turn around and leave as if nothing had ever happened.

Until then, much to his disturbance, the stupid girl had decided to create the scene herself. He watched intently as she nearly flew back up with amazing speed and descended her bows to the ground with every apology she continued to cry out. He realized seconds later that people were staring and whispering.

This clumsy, rash, stupid and reckless school girl was wasting his time.

And there she was again, once more, days later, in front of his presence.

At his bar, during his work hours, in his presence.

He answered Grimmjow's question without hesitance and watched the girl's expression distort into complete mortification. He had had enough. This girl had already caused him enough mischief and he was going to turn her in along with her friend; their unlawful visits soon to be executed with harsh punishment.

"Yes, I believe I do."

He watched as those ashen orbs grew into saucers, screaming in alarm and revelation.

He was going to turn her in, and she was damn well aware of it.


	6. A Dark Figure

**Chapter 5: A Dark Figure**

* * *

"WAIT A MINUTE!"

There was a sudden, thunderous slam on the table, shaking all the contents and plates. The orange-haired girl had leaped up from her seat and shrieked in a deafening tone, causing everyone else to abruptly stop their actions and eye the panicked girl. Confusion written over everyone's faces, they all waited for an explanation behind her sudden impulse.

"I...Uhm...I think we...uhm..."

Her eyes darted around the table, examining their expressions and reactions. They all held the similar expressions stressing questions like, _what the hell are you doing, _and _what the hell is wrong with you_, however, none of that bothered her full front.

What bothered her the most was _him._

He was indifferent and completely unaffected. He held no question upon his expression, not even a slight flicker of emotion.

Rangiku stopped conversing with the blue haired host in front of her and looked at Orihime with bewilderment; slightly arching her eyebrow and staring at her friend as if she were completely out of her mind.

Orihime glanced around nervously before she decided to give up her inner struggles and blurt out the first thing that came to her mind.

"I uhm...I think we definitely shouldn't waste time like this!"

Everyone just sat in silence as they stared at the stammering girl. Rangiku, especially holding the face of inquiry, contorted on her features as she stilled all movement; waiting for her friend to continue.

"We! Uhm...We can't just sit here and do nothing!"

"...?"

"It's...it's...It's my birthday! And..uhm, I definitely want to celebrate it the right way!"

Silence stirred and Orihime could have sworn that the the pale man was glaring at her. Fortunately, she had succeeded in suspending him from his confession.

Rangiku's expression slowly transformed from the annoyed questioning look to a look of dazzled confusion. Wildly flailing her arms around in the air, she shouted in denial at the words Orihime had sputtered.

"EHHHH?! It's your birthday?! Why haven't you told me before?! I would have bought a present for you!"

"I uh...I uhm...You already have!"

Orihime twirled around in a circle before bringing her hand up to the back of her head and in an awkward manner. The pale man's gaze firmly fixed on the girl, informing her of his unforgiving awareness.

The uncomfortable silence was finally disrupted when the blue haired host slowly cracked a sadistic smile.

"Aight' then! Here we have it. Let's plant this birthday girl with some of the hardest liquor in the house! Bring em' out Szayel!"

Twinkling with anticipation, he called out to the the waiter that had taken Rangiku's orders earlier. Szayzel walked toward them carrying several beer bottles in between his fingers as they slightly clanked with each step. Grimmjow's smirk grew bigger as he eyed the liquor, gleaming with immoral intent.

"...Are...are we really going to drink all that?"

Orihime pointed a shaky finger at the heap of piling liquor, forcing a nervous smile. The blue haired mann turned to face the anxious girl with an exceedingly broad grin and a wink of desire; making her shiver in regret.

"The hell ya' talkin' bout? Of course we are."

The pale man continued to sit in silence during the commotion, growing impatient with each passing second. He had enough of this ruckus and the girl and now it was time for her to leave. Did she actually lack such common sense to believe that a slight sudden interruption would convince him to stay quiet? How foolish. He doubted that they even had enough money to pay for all this liquor as well as the summoning of him and the other idio-

Ulquiorra was suddenly pulled out of his judgment as a pink bottle was shoved into his chest. His gaze followed up to the owner of such pestilence, his eyes slightly twitching at the sudden intrusion. The blonde haired, blue eyed, curvaceous woman looked directly at him with sparkling excitement. When the pale man did not give a particular reaction, the woman gently shoved at him again; urging him to take the bottle.

The pale man sternly spoke out against her friendly gesture.

"I do not wish to join in the consumption of heavy alcohol today."

Rangiku's eyes widened at his unexpected response.

"WHA-? But I thought hosts were supposed to entertain the ladies all night long! That's what is said on the flyer!"

Grimmjow snorted and glared at Ulquiorra, quietly studying his queer behavior and criticizing the bastard. Ulquiorra closed his eyes, breaking eye contact, as he sighed.

"Entertainment should not have to involve the consumption of alcohol. Especially for those who are under-"

Before he could finish his statement, Orihime spurted her drink out in front of her, targeting the pale man with green streaks. Rangiku's jaw dropped to the floor as Grimmjow sat beside the orange-haired woman; blankly blinking his eyes as disbelief consumed his features.

Orihime's eyes grew comically large. She had lost it. She was insane. She was just itching for some more trouble, wasn't she?

The air grew dark and heavy as the pale man did not move, his eyes remaining closed. The obnoxious spray of saliva and alcohol gently forming into droplets as they trailed down his face, glistening against the lights. Orihime flinched and quickly wiped her mouth before she began to count to herself, ready for the big blow.

...3

...2

...1

...

"WHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH !"

A sudden eruption of laughter rung out across the table as the blue haired man held onto his sides and continued to choke on his own laughter. Orihime diverted her attention to the man who was gasping for air, worried that he may be provoking the pale man closer to snapping.

Then a large arm wrapped around Orihime's shoulder as he roughly pulled her in and crackled.

"I like this one. Clearly, she's a fuckin' clown."

The man beamed at his frowning friend who eventually got to his feet and momentarily excused himself to the washroom. He then turned his attention toward the girl who was frigid in his arm. She was beet red, gazing down at the floor, abashed by the trouble she had caused.

"Haha. Don't worry bout it. He ain't the type to take things personally."

Orihime glanced up at blue haired host with an expression of guilt and appreciation for his sympathetic words. On the other hand, Rangiku had turned quite pale herself; desperately trying to calm herself by continously noting it as Orihime's 'birthday'.

Orihime glanced up from her shame when the pale man gently plopped back down on the crimson sofa with a stoic expression.

"Ano...I-I'm so sorry."

The man simply looked away.

Orihime stared back down at the ground as guilt rode over her conscious; knowing that she had ruined the night for everyone. The awkward air around the bright orange headed girl grew heavier until an icy glass was pushed up against her lips. She looked up from the interruption and gazed into eccentric blue eyes as they commented with glee.

"C'mon, take it"

"..."

Orihime carefully took the glass in her own hand, timidly glancing over at the pale man in front of her; worried about her exposure.

"Call me Grimmjow by the way, Grimmjow Jaggerjacques, twenty-six, espada numero sexta."

Cautiously taking in her first sip of alcohol, she scrunched up her nose at the disgusting and raw taste. Why did people drink alcohol in the first place? Quietly setting the cup back down on the table, she shyly glanced back up at the beaming individual and introduced herself as well.

"Oh, uhm... hello. My name is Orihime Inoue and I'm eigh-...I mean twenty...three?"

Orihime was never a good liar. She had accidently let her voice hitch at the end as she flinched at her own mistake. Worried that the man may have noticed it, she searched his face for any reaction until Grimmjow just gave a quick nod, turning his attention toward Rangiku.

"What boutcha'?"

Rangiku, who had been temporarily twirling her straw around in her pink slushy, looked up at the man and smiled fruitfully.

"Matsumoto Rangiku, twenty-five. Nice to meet you too, Grimmjow Jaggerjacques."

He smiled sickly as he pointed to the guy beside Rangiku and introduced the pale face for himself.

"That bastard over there, he's Ulquiorra Schiffer, twenty-six, espada numero quarto. He's kinda 'socially challenged', so please 'scuse him t'night ladies."

Ulquiorra impassively just sat there, seemingly staring at particularly nothing; closing his eyes every now and then, hinting at his patience.

"Oh but don't'cha worry. There's a reason why he's numero quarto at our club, 'specially cause he's skilled in bed."

Grimmjow's shit-eating smile widened at his own smart comment as he watched Rangiku chuckle to herself; Orihime growing furiously red. Staring at the beet red girl next to him, curiosity took the better side of him as he asked the girl.

"Why ya' so fuckin' red? Hot in here or somethin'?"

Rangiku glanced over at her and grinned. She knew the answer to that better than anyone else.

"Oh, that's because she's a virgin and she's not very comfortable talking about sex."

Grimmjow's brow quirked as he slightly gaped; Ulquiorra slightly glanced up from his contemplation at the comment. Grimmjow, slightly amused, glanced over at Orihime and barked.

"Hah, so that's why ya' here t'night? To get a good fuck out of one of us?"

Rangiku shook her head in disagreement as she stared at the girl who had turned completely crimson; almost an illusion of steam rising from her head.

"Nah, she just wants to save if for someone else, like someone _special_; someone particular actually. Strange thing is he has blazing orange hair just like her, that Kurosaki Ichi-"

"RANGIKU-SAN!"

Orihime whined at her friend, pleading her to stop right there. Rangiku glanced over at her and giggled; she loved making fun of her innocence especially at times like this.

"Well, don't fuckin' matter whatever it is as long as she gets herself fucked up. Ain't that right Ulquiorra?"

Grimmjow, who had been momentarily listening to the curvaceous woman, looked straight at the girl with his famous shit-eating smirk. Ulquiorra, on the other hand, sat in silence.

Most of the woman that came to visit them were all exposed to the practice of sex and wanted to fuck or be fucked in order to satisfy their physical wants. On the other hand, this girl hadn't even had the minimum exposure to sex or sexual activity. Ulquiorra was aware of how high school students were in this generation, which was slightly a surprise at the mention of her being a virgin. However, it aggravated him as to how stupid the girl was to walk into a host club, being as innocent as she was.

"I...Uhm, Yes. I came here to get drunk...?"

Orihime had pitched her voice at the end, making it obvious of her own doubt. Ulquiorra sighed. He could already see straight through this girl and he had known her only for a mere 30 minutes.

How irritating.

But, annoying as it was, he was the highest fourth Espada host and he couldn't deny his duty. Whether it was to meet their sexual or emotional satisfactions, it was his duty to meet them all; and 'all' included this girl before him.

Without further due, Ulquiorra reached his hand out toward a pink bottle.

"Ah, what's this? I thought ya' said 'I do not want to involve myself in the consumption of alcohol tonight', fuckin' cunt."

Grimmjow smirked loudly back at Ulquiorra who had popped open the bottle as the content hissed its way up to the top and spilt over his pale hand.

"It is simply my duty; physically or not."

Grimmjow grunted back in response. He then proudly raised his glass up into the air and shouted out a loud toast for the girl with a wide grin plastered over his face.

"Aight then! Even though this shit has never happened before, I pledge allegiance to a fucked up night. Cheers!"

Rangiku smiled and Orihime timidly outstretched her glass next to Grimmjow's while the three clashed against each other. They all glanced over at Ulquiorra who had decided to disengage himself from their ceremonial celebrations, already drinking his beverage silently.

Grimmjow grumbled with disapproval before gulping down the hard liquor with a harsh hiss as Rangiku finished hers with a bright jeer of excitement. Orihime contorted her face in disgust with a light sip, completely repulsed by the taste.

Seconds began to tick away as minutes and hours began to pass; more female customers flooding the club with each passing minute. And one after another, empty pink bottles continued to pile as the laughter and shrieks of excitement filled the air.

* * *

"I think Aizen's going to like that pet-sama"

A tall, lanky figure stood behind the corner of a dark crimson curtain, leering at an orange haired female from behind a distance; snarling with lust. Silently licking his lips, the lanky figure hissed as he slithered his way out of the room and down the black hall; heading for an ominous black door.


	7. 99,000

**A/N: I'm not really good with money or numbers so even though the amount may seem too vast or unreasonable, please just understand. You can re-insert an amount that makes you comfortable reading my story. Haha. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: $99,000**

* * *

A thin girl wearing a white fluorescent dress strolled down the black halls of Hueco Mundo as she soon faced a large black door. With a grunt of forced strength, the girl pushed against the two doors with both hands and walked in. Aizen abruptly looked up from his concentrated paperwork and quietly sighed, realizing who had just walked through his door. The black haired girl flipped her tied ponytail back behind her shoulder as she slammed her hand down on Aizen's desk.

Aizen neatly set his ink pen down and placed his face onto the side of his knuckles as he gazed up with a content smile.

"Good afternoon, Loly"

"You fucking LIED to me. You told me that he would be mine!"

The raven-haired girl hissed as she spat into Aizen's face.

Aizen ruffled his amber hair as his russet eyes slightly narrowed at her crude disrepectful behavior. He didn't feel like compromising with an ignorant whining young pest; especially during his irritating paperwork. Aizen swiftly stood up from his seat as he breifly scanned the room and nearly sauntered his way toward the illuminating gothic window; parts of his face lightly hilighted by the glowing sunset.

Loly propped herself onto Aizen's desk as she glared, spitting nasty words at the man who currently had his back turned to her.

"You're a damn lair. You told me that you'd give him to me once I paid you a worthy amount."

The afternoon sunset blazed against Aizen's russet hair as he stared off into the distant, holding an indifferent solemn look of hidden aggravation.

"Seriously, fuck you and your fucking stupid rule-"

"Loly, my dear cousin."

Loly stopped her hissing momentarily as her glaring slightly faultered. She realized how he had called her his 'dear cousin' which definitely wasn't a good sign. Loly quickly hushed herself as an adrupt silence stirred the room.

She must have taken it too far.

Loly quietly sprung herself off from the desk and stood still, almost as if waiting for Aizen to turn back and slap her across the face for her barking rudeness. She quietly admitted to herself that the second she had stepped into Aizen's room, she might've had crossed the border. Her breathing stopped as she felt her own heart racing against her chest.

"Wh-what."

Aizen turned back and met her gaze with his natural smirk.

Loly shifted.

"Do you truly believe in what you have said?"

"Wha- What the hell do you mean?"

"Ulquiorra lives because of what I give him. He's still _human_ because of what I can provide him."

Aizen slowly made his way toward Loly as he closed in the intimidating gap. He gently brought her face toward his and lifted her chin, whispering in a low tone.

"Loly,"

Loly flinched.

"You will excuse yourself from my presence, now."

Loly slapped his hand away as she almost staggered toward the door. Nervously shouting her final threat, she slammed the door and left as the pitter patter of her feet echoed across the hall. Finally at peace, Aizen quietly made his way back to his desk. With a deep sigh, he heavily lifted up his ink pen and once again, began on his distressing paperwork.

* * *

Ulquiorra sighed.

He was currently staring down at a heap of mess. Grimmjow had literally out done himself, sprawled out across the table, mumbling strange words to himself; Rangiku knocked out and leaning back against the couch, lolling her head from side to side with a bottle still in hand. As for the orange headed girl, however, she had outrageously drank five bottles of straight gin tonic and still managed to keep awake. He had to admit that he was pretty amazed at how well she could handle her alcohol, assuming that this was her first time consuming alcohol in the first place.

"I think...hiccup...I might have drank...hiccup...a little too much...Eheheheh."

Orihime was sitting upright, completely alert, as a pink blush slightly tinted over her visage. Ulquiorra had stood up from his seat a couple moments ago in order to sit next to her; just as a precaution in order to restrain the girl from doing anything uncalled for.

The girl slightly perked up at his close presence and awkwardly collected herself. She straightened out her skirt and folded her hands on her lap, unsure of exactly what to do. Ulquiorra analyzed the girl from the corner of his eye, taking in her every move. His clear concious began to tug at his reminder that even as much of a nuisance it was, she was still a guest as long as she was under this roof. And as much as he would enjoy throwing her out along with her blonde friend, he was to concern for her.

Atleast until she paid.

Orihime just sat there stiffly as she moved a stray piece of hair behind her ear. He watched her and quietly closed his eyes as he glanced away and checked his watch.

Merely a quarter past 1 A.M.

He sighed. This had never happened before, neither for him nor Grimmjow. Female customers always came to drink basically a whole night away, but these two "women", had simply drunk for solely a couple hours. However he had to admit, staring back at the table, that it did amaze him at how much these two women could drink. They had nearly devoured masses and goads of the remaining alcohol behind the bar.

Ulquorra closed his emerald eyes and casually laid his head on the brim of the crimson couch. He pondered and realized it quite unfortunate that the same inelegant girl he had run into that bright morning, came to cross paths with him again. He didn't mind running into the girl, however, it was a problem because she had been in a school uniform. Since they had already consumed their ordered alcohol, he would have to let this one go. However, as soon as they were to leave this club, he was going to make sure they were to never return.

Ulquiorra lightly rolled his head back as his indifferent expression strayed. He would surely inform Aizen-sama and have Tousen compose stricter surveillance for under aged drinkers.

"Do...do you hate me?"

Ulquiorra came back from his thoughts at the squeak of a tentative voice. He turned his gaze from the corner of his eye and upon the burning girl; slightly intrigued. What care did this woman have whether he hated her or liked her or wanted to throw her body out into the sticky summer night? What concern would that be to her? Was it a rhetorical question, or was it merely a statement of self-conscious pity?

How foolish.

Ulquiorra slowly glanced away and replied in a solemn voice, hushing the girl.

"...I am incapable of feeling hatred towards anyone woman. I have discarded of all pathetic emotions since they prove to serve no purpose other than to perplex the human mind."

Orihime promptly jerked her head up as she gasped in bewilderment.

"WHA-! That's not true! Everyone has to have feelings! Feelings are very important because they can make you feel all kinds of emotions like, happiness, sadness, and even sometimes anger; but the most important feeling comes deep down from the heart!"

Ulquiorra's frown deepened.

This girl had the mentality of a five year old child. And because she was so straightfoward yet simple minded, Ulquiorra was left speechless. He was usually a quick retorter, however, being met with a pair of sparkling grew orbs full of hope and excitement, he decided silence was his best key.

Ulquiorra coldly broke the eye contact and stared down at his watch.

1:55 A.M.

"Woman, you must take you and your friend back home. I'll escort you to a authorized vehicle, and make sure to compensate your amount to the front cashi-."

Ulquiorra's statement was interrupted with a silent snore. He turned his gaze back at the girl and sighed as he rubbed his temples. The girl had fallen asleep on the couch with her auburn hair sprawled out across the sofa, lightly curling herself up into a ball.

Ulquiorra was having a hard time keeping his composure.

"May a hand of assistance be welcoming?"

Szayel showed up from behind a crimson curtain with two other waiters. Without a moment's hesitation, Ulquiorra got up from the sofa and swiftly turned on his foot. Without many words, he looked over his shoulder with indifference and commanded the rose haired individual.

"Make sure to compensate the accurate amount of money before excusing our guests."

His duty for the night finally coming to an end, Ulquiorra swiftly disappeared behind a pair of doors as the clicking of his organized footsteps echoed behind. Szayel then quickly motioned for the other waiters to grab the two women and drag them out toward the door.

"Make sure to take one of them to the counter."

"Yes, Szayel-sama"

The two waiters then dragged Rangiku and Orihime toward the counter as Grimmjow stayed sprawled out across the table, murmuring strange words. Szayel stalked up behind Grimmjow and glared down at the blue haired idiot, clearly disappointed about his rash loss of control.

"...Grimmjow."

"...Ungh..."

Szayel then smacked him in the back of his head without warning. Grimmjow suddenly jerked up from the spurious pain and cried out in agony as he furiously rubbed at the pain, praying for it to go away.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

Szayel looked down on the man and adjusted his glasses with a glint of irritation flashing through his eyes.

"I believe you should report back to your quarters."

Grimmjow glared back up at the rose haired man with angry resentment apparent across his features.

"Fuck you, you stupid fuckin' pink haired spam lookin' shit."

With that, he roughly rose from the trashed table and trudged toward the same door that Ulquiorra had walked past moments ago, grumbling at the annoyance and sickness washing past him.

"Sza-Szayel-sama!"

Szayzel who had been glaring off at the doors where Grimmjow had exited, snapped back at the strained voice calling for his name. He glanced over at the source and realized that the two other waiters were struggling with the now awake and drunken customer.

"let go owf me!~"

Szayzel glanced over at the chaotic and fairly curvaceous woman, who was now seemingly forcing her foot into the other man's mouth, ranting obnoxious words while kicking the two men.

"Ma-mam! Please stop this non-OMPH"

Rangiku had smacked the other guy down with a single throw of her fist, forcing the mere life out of his guts.

"I'mma gonna leawve daammit!"

In the state of hazed overdose and a struggling conscious, the woman roughly raised herself off from the two beat up waiters and stomped out the door, raggedly bumping into the frame before completely making her way out.

"Wa-wait! MAM!"

One of the waiters quickly wobbled to his feet, staggering toward the door, only to be knocked out backwards as the door slammed into his face.

Szayzel blankly blinked as he stared back and forth at the slammed door and the two men that were grunting and squirming in pain under his feet. He sighed as he ruffled his neatly combed pink hair and critically pondered on the possible consequences which could spring from this dire situation.

A customer had just left without paying.

Without paying the righteous amount of $50,000.

Szayzel knew if Aizen-sama found out about this, he wouldn't be wearing his all too famous shit-eating smile anymore. Szayzel sighed in despair and misery. He was losing hope for his life and just as he was about to rip his own pink hair out, a small tentative groan came from the floor.

Szayzel blankly looked down at his feet where a random string of bright orange hair came into view.

An orange headed girl was silently murmuring to herself as she slowly curled herself up into a ball and lay on the floor. Szayzel blinked a couple of times before he readjusted his glasses and inwardly sighed with relief.

This girl would surely pay.

* * *

"Come in."

A black heavy door silently gritted against the marble floor as it creaked open; allowing a shallow stream of light to pour into the dim room. A tall lanky black figure leaned against the door frame, quietly leering upon the contently smiling Aizen.

"Ah, and what might bring you here,"

The lanky figure slowly made its way out of the shadowed wall and unveiled his identity as a stream of light slowly lit portions of his visage.

"Noitora?"

The tall figure slithered his way toward Aizen's desk, silently chuckling within the darkness as shuffling taps of footsteps and clinking metal reverberated in the air.

"I've got news for you, Aizen-sama."

Aizen lightly quirked his eyebrow.

"What do you mean, my dear companion?"

Noitora's face darkened with a plastered grin, stretching from ear to ear.

* * *

"Ungh..."

A light peach colored girl silently rose herself off from the bed as the silken sheets glided off her frail body. Her burning orange hair splayed out across her shoulders as she shifted her weight and rubbed the disstresing sleep away from her eyes. She groaned as her head pounded with pain every movement. She then gently rubbed her temples as the nauseous feeling of sickness and dizziness washed over her.

Hoping that opening her eyes would do the trick, Orihime searched around the room in order to find anything to concentrate on so she could ease the pain away.

She groggly glanced around the room as she continued to rub her temples in silence.

Black, white, and more black.

Wait, what?

Then, it hit her.

She leaped out of bed and stumbled to her feet as she jerked her head around, frightened at the unknown environment. Panic began to settle in her gut as she realized that this was not her house. She wasn't in her room and most of all, her clothes had been changed.

At the verge of screaming and coming to the conclusion of rape or kidnap, the wooden door to the room banged open and in walked a tall blue figure along with a pink haired man wearing glistening glasses.

Orihime gaped at the two men.

The men stared back.

Then, the pink haired man turned viciously pink as he cleared his throat and hastily adjusted his glasses.

"Uhm..Mam' excuse us, but I believe your gown is transparent."

Orihime blinked back before she finally realized what the pink man had come down to. They could see her through her clothes and she was pretty damn sure that she wasn't' wearing a bra. Orihime glanced down at her chest at the hopes of proving him wrong, but no. She could clearly see through the light silver gown which intricately portrayed her perked nipples.

"..."

Orihime shrieked with a screeching racket as she lurched back onto the bed and hid herself under the covers. Grimmjow, who had been watching with blatant interest, silently sighed in irritation as he ran his fingers through his own static blue hair.

"Look woman,"

The auburn girl perked her head out just slightly from the covers as her trembling gaze met with Grimmjow's.

"We don't have time for this shit. Ya' better fuckin' pay and leave before I kick your ass outta' here for myself."

Grimmjow pointed his thumb toward the door as he motioned for her to make her move. The girl simply didn't budge. She only stared and seemed to tremble with every bark that bounced off the white walls from his powerful voice. Silence stirred until the pink man spoke in a calmer fashion, hoping to convince the troubling woman with a soothing voice.

"Uhm..Mam, I believe that your 'friend' has left our store without paying the righteous amount yesterday. I believe the burden has been left upon your hands now."

Orihime's grey orbs widened as big as saucers.

She sprung herself out from under the covers but held the blankets over her bust as she asked with whining defiance.

"Wha-what do you mean?"

The pink male impatiently readjusted his glasses and took out a board with recorded piles of notes, transforming into a human calculator.

"Well, yesterday you called out for number four, and number six which is approx 15,000 per hour. I believe you and your friend consumed about 2 bottles of tequila, 2 bottles of sunshade, 3 bottle of vodka, and 11 bottles of pink beer. That will give you a total amount of $55,000. Oh, and plus the night over for you, it'll be exactly $55,910.35; but I'll just make it $55,000 because of your generous spendings. Any questions?"

Tears began to well up in Orihime's eyes as her hands began to tremble over her mouth.

"Uhm, something the matter mam'?"

Szayel asked in critical worry at the woman's current condition. Surely, she wasn't panicking or trembling because she was incapable of paying the amount. And, if cases would come down to that, they would just turn her into the police and demand for a higher compensation upon her disruption of business laws.

The pain began to pound so heavily against Orihime's head, she wasn't sure if it was her heart skipping against her chest or her temples that were aching with each hammering pulse. Her mind went blank as her eyes glazed back and forth at the blue haired muscular man to the other pink haired analytical evaluator.

Just as her faith and hopes were about to drown out from her soul, a darker figure made its way into the dim room, past Grimmjow and Szayel.

"She won't be able to pay that much money."

A stoic man stood before the doorway as his slouched posture alarmed the panicked girl. Orihime jerked her gaze to the indifferent individual and held her breath; it was impossible to ask for an escape.

Ulquiorra brushed past Grimmjow and Szayel as he made his way toward the bed and threw a collared shirt at the unnerved girl.

"Dress and come with me...girl"

Orihime nodded her head and hastily fixed herself into the oversized shirt. She flustered as the awkward silence drained into the room while the three men stood in silence and intently stared at her; almost analyzing her every movement.

When the last button was set, Ulquiorra swiftly turned on his heel and submerged his hands into his pockets. The auburn girl quickly jumped out of bed and obediently tagged along behind the taller man.

Grimmjow and Szayel blinked, staring off at the two figures that grew smaller with every footstep. Grimmjow snorted in aggravation as he cursed under his breath and made his way out the door, down a different hall. Szayel stood still, holding the crumpled notes of paper against his chest as his eyes roamed toward nothing. Why would Ulquiorra excuse the woman and mention her incapability for paying the money? And most of all, why would he address to the young woman as a girl? How strange.

Without further due, Szayel snapped back into reality and organized his crumpled sheets before finally making his way down the hall and back to his own quarters.

* * *

"Ano, where are we going?"

"Silence."

Orihime flinched at the man's harshness and quietly dreaded the silence stinging the air as they made their way down random white halls and through bright crimson doors. She felt like she was in trouble like that one time in middle school when she was called to the principle's office. Only, this time it wouldn't end with a simple phonecall.

Paying too much attention to her surroundings, Orihime hadn't noticed when the man in front of her had come to an abrupt stop as she rammed herself into his back. She utterly squealed at the sudden pain and tweaked her nose as the man before her turned around and bore her a stoic expression. Then, without further due, the man opened another doorway as he motioned for her to step inside.

"Go."

Unsure of his true intentions, she relied on luck and timidly stepped into the daunting shadowed room. The very first feeling that washed over her instinct was fear. She had never felt such an immense and heavy atmosphere of choking trepidation and panic. Despite listening to her conscious screaming at her to run, she broadly stepped in and was met face to face with another man who played a welcoming smile upon his face.

The door clicked behind Orihime as Ulquiorra silently stepped into the room and made his way toward the intimidating man. He kneeled upon the ground and spoke.

"I have a report, Aizen-sama."

Aizen smiled as he played off his serene expression with mocking enthusiasm.

"Oh, that's expected of you my dear companion. However, what brings this lovely lady into my office at this time of the day?"

Ulquiorra stood back up from his position and locked gazes with Aizen; words falling from his pale lips.

"This 'woman', who is currently in your presence, has failed to compensate the correct amount of alcohol and time exhausted from yesterday."

Aizen simply smiled without words.

"-I believe we cannot pursue the amount from her without harm befalling our way as well."

Aizen's wry smile slightly faltered at Ulquiorra's last statement.

"May you explain as to why?"

"She is an under aged high school student, whom has illegally consumed alcohol under our sex industry."

Aizen's smile had vanished.

He quietly rose from his desk and formally made his way toward the trembling auburn girl. Amber eyes met with grey orbs as they were shaking with intensity.

Aizen lifted her face up with his hand as he examined her from side to side. He then broke the eye contact and gazed up and down her body as he felt her form slightly tremble. Then, swiftly, he returned to his desk and left the girl in a hazed state of fear.

"I don't believe that will be a problem anymore."

Ulquiorra met gazes with Aizen in a slightly questioning manner, until Aizen motioned for him to bring the guest forward to his desk.

Ulquiorra stepped behind and lightly shoved the girl.

Orihime shrieked in mute panic as her eyes met daunting amber ones. The man spoke softly with his wry smile back in place.

"Welcome, my dear young lady. How old may I perceive you to be?"

"...Seventeen."

"That's quite young, and definitely against the federal law."

Orihime bore her gaze into Aizen's as she hung a reassuring hand over her forearm. Aizen then placed his face back upon his knuckles and continued to interview the girl.

"May I know your name?"

"...Inoue. Orihime Inoue."

"Well, miss Orihime. How are you planning to pay us the mere amount of $55,000? I don't believe that it'll be rationally possible for a high school student to obtain such money."

"...Yes..."

"You know, I believe we could report you to the police and have them put you in juvenile."

Her eyes shook with trembling fear as small glistening tears welled up in her orbs.

"...but- that would be a problem for us as well. You see it is against the law for us as well, as a branch to the sex industry, to accept any under aged customers under any circumstances. This may be where our vital mistake lies."

Orihime gazed upon Aizen's eyes with faint hope.

"...and, luckily I have a solution."

Aizen's smile almost danced in his eyes.

"You, Miss Orihime, will have to work under our supervision and repay back our rightful amount of $99,000."


	8. The Sealed Bet

**Chapter 7: The Sealed Bet**

* * *

"You, Miss Orihime, will have to work under our supervision and repay back our rightful amount of $99,000."

Orihime quietly squeezed her forearm as she timidly spoke up with defiance.

"bu-but I thought you said it was $55,000?"

Aizen chuckled.

"Well, Miss Orihime. Weighing the risks for endangering our branch of industry due to your rash behavior, I believe adding a rightful amount of $44,000 is actually quite generous. I do perceive you as quite a developed and stunning young woman, therefore working under our enterprise could raise you approximately $800 a day. I perceive that it'll be a little over 3 months."

Orihime squirmed.

"I don't understand?"

Aizen slowly rose from his desk and circled around the trembling girl; holding his malice glee as he brushed her hair behind her ear in a mocking manner. Ulquiorra stood behind the shadowed wall and only stared with indifference. Aizen chuckled as he closed the gap in between his chest and the girls back, feeling her quiver against him. He then took in her ear and whispered with sardonic compassion,

"Are you honestly so naïve, Miss Orihime?"

Without saying anymore, Aizen gently brushed away his rough fingers from the trembling girl before finding his way back to his desk. He cocked a smile as he rested his face upon his knuckle; eyeing the girl up and down before speaking in a generous tone.

"You will start work starting this Monday."

Orihime gazed back at the daunting man from the floor as her grey orbs shook with uncertainty and denial. She felt her tears on the verge of dangerously spilling over. Then, as if on cue, Ulquiorra swiftly stepped in front of the shaken girl and bowed down with evident loyalty. Aizen unknowingly chuckled at his slight interruption and questioned in soft terms.

"Do you have anything else to add Ulquiorra?"

Impassive jade eyes met humored russet ones as the dreary silence stirred. Aizen gazed upon the glistening jade eyes, as if waiting for Ulquiorra to continue explaining his reason for interruption, however, no significant words were given.

"None Aizen-sama. Please excuse us for the night."

"Very well, you may be excused."

With a quick bow of loyalty, Ulquiorra swiftly turned on his heal and headed for the door. He briefly stopped in front of the troubled girl and barely motioned for her to follow him. Orihime complied and silently towed behind his lead until the somber voice spoke once more.

"Miss Orihime?"

Orihime quietly turned around in order to meet the cocky hushed voice of Aizen's mocking respect.

"I hope you do seldom understand that these matters should only be concerned between you and Ulquiorra. And I do mean only you and Ulquiorra. If I hear, which I do seldom have my sources, about our agreement or deal from any other individual,"

Aizen's cocky smile held its place as Orihime blankly stared.

"I am afraid there will be grave consequences for not only you, but for you dearest ones as well."

Orihime glowered at the floor as a silent hitch escaped her breath. Her eyebrows furrowed as she placed another stray orange lock behind her ear; her hands faintly shaking.

"...Yes, I understand."

"Very well then, Ulquiorra will now take you to fill out some vital paperwork. I am definitely pleased to meet you and I will be looking foward to seeing you again."

Orihime nodded, avoiding gazes, before rushing out the ominous door and toward her waiting individual. Ulquiorra momentarily glanced down at the flustered girl, who was unconsciously pulling at her collared shirt. He wordlessly turned on his hell as he flatly ordered the shaken girl.

"Follow me."

* * *

Orihime sighed and glanced at the burgundy clock that hung on the wall.

_4:30 P.M._

She had been nonstop filling out ridiculous amounts of paperwork for more than two hours and it was driving her insane. Her shoulders ached and her legs painfully cramped as she could now no longer feel her bottom. Letting out a silent huff, she quietly set the heavy pen down and timidly glanced over at the pale man who had been sitting across from her, divulged in a heavy novel.

_I really have to use the restroom._

Orihime felt her own sweat prickling down her spine as she squeezed her thighs together and bit her bottom lip, silently praying for a chance to speak up and have her pleading heard. This time, she tried glancing over at the other individual with a quiet whimper and have her eyes dart around the room. She needed him to notice her since she was too frightened to ask.

Unfortunatley, not the slightest hint was recieved as he continued to read his book in silence. She honestly wasn't sure if he was just ignoring her or if he really was so engrossed in his reading.

_I don't think I can hold it in any longer!_

Bolstering up all her courage and confidence, she spoke up in her loudest voice she could muster which ironically only came out as a whine. Luckily, however, the man seemed to have gotten the clue as he looked up from his grand novel and met shimmering grey orbs. Her grey orbs grew wide as she realized that their eyes had finally met. Suddenly flustered by the intense eye contact, she quickly broke his scrutinizing gaze and twiddled with her skirt.

Ulquiorra sighed. He consciously knew she had been whining and restlessly shuffling around for the last half hour until he could not tolerate any more of her irritating sighs and whimpers. He had intended to give her a solemn glare and warn her of her annoyance, however, when they had met gazes, her unpredicted behavior slightly startled him. He knew she would break gazes due to her self-conscious discipline, but he never expected her to blush. Why was she blushing?

"...Ano.."

Ulquiorra's jade eyes focused back at the petite girl as he stopped his contemplation.

"...I'm really sorry..." Orihime stopped her sentence midway as she gazed back up and met his jade eyes, hinting at the fact that she did not know his name.

Ulquiorra sighed and answered her reluctantly.

"Ulquiorra."

With a small "Oh", she continued to speak in her timid voice.

"...Ulqui..ura?-kun, but may I be excused for a second..?"

"No."

Orihime flinched at his flat answer.

Ulquiorra continued, seeing her compliance.

"You shall not leave my premises until you have finished all of your paperwork. It must be finished for then I am allowed to turn them into organized documents in order to permanently seal the deal that you have made with our industry."

"No it's not that..."

"Then what is it that you concern for?"

"Ano, I have to use the ladies room..."

Silence stirred and Orihime fidgeted at the uncomfortable and unbearable fixed stare from the pale man. She uncomfortably shuffled her feet as she diverted her gaze away from the piercing jade ones and concentrated on anything other than his eyes.

The silence snapped as Ulquiorra spoke.

"Very well then, I believe that I should escort you in order to be certain of your intentions."

"Wha-What! Your going to follow me into the ladies room? Why!"

Ulquiorra's indifferent features only stared for several moments before he spoke again, hushing the flustered girl.

"Stop with your imprudent babble. Of course I will not follow you into the ladies room. I will merely monitor your actions in order to assure that you will not commit any foolishness."

Orihime sighed with relief before she brightly smiled and exclaimed with joy.

"Okay!"

Orihime took the solemn silence as her cue and stood from her seat as she nearly ran for the door and down the hall. Ulquiorra watched with an indifferent attitude as he heard the pitter-patter of feet rush away.

* * *

"-and Ulquiorra-kun will be expecting to see you here on Monday evening, around 6:30. And oh please, I do need your mobile number since we must keep in contact with you every day."

Szayel glanced up from the middle of his ramble and watched the girl fumble through her bag, apparently looking for her phone. Szayel smirked at the disconcerted girl; she must have had a hard day.

"Uhm, it's okay. I'll just provide you with Ulquiorra's number so you can call him."

The girl stopped her rummaging and looked up with hopeful eyes returning his kindness.

"Oh! Thank you very much! I promise that I will!"

"Please, do not worry about it."

Szayel smiled back as he watched the girl reorganize the rest of her folders in her school bag as he held the door open for her, gently gesturing for her to leave.

"Thank you very much, ano"

"You may refer to me as Szayel."

"Szayel-kun!"

Szayel smiled at the shy girl and watched as she perked up and brushed past him and out the door. He motioned her acknowledgement of a "farewell" as she bowed once more respectively before running off and down the crowded evening street.

Szayzel fixed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose as he slightly smirked at the possibly different life she would bring to their hell-hole.


	9. An Unexpected Visit

**Chapter 8: An Unexpected Visit**

* * *

_Click_

With a deep sigh of frustration, the dark empty house lighted up as Orihime flicked the lights on and slipped out of her shoes. Throwing her school bag to the side, she willingly plopped herself on top of the beige sofa and stripped out of her stockings and skirt. It was Sunday night and she had school tomorrow and she hadn't even had the chance to glance at her homework.

With another heavy sigh of frustration and exhaustion, she rubbed her face with her two frail hands as she raised herself off from the sofa and made her way into the bathroom. She really needed a hot searing shower in order to relax herself before getting to work on her homework. Slowly dragging her feet toward the bathroom, she flicked the lights on and stepped onto the cold tile floor. She quickly turned on the water to her fitting temperature and undressed herself until her house phone rang.

Quickly turning the knob off, she wrapped herself around in a clean white towel and ran for it as if it were on fire. Slightly juggling it in her hands, she timidly answered it as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

"He-Hello?"

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ORIHIME!"

It was Tatsuki-chan.

"Oh! Tatsuki-chan! Uhm...What a surprise!"

"WHAT? What do you mean I'm a surprise? I've been worried dead about you all day Orihime! I haven't heard from you ever since Friday and I just found out from Rangiku about the host bar incident!"

Orihime's heart stopped. Her mouth went dry as her mind flashed through the events that had taken place. Her head spun around in circles as everything played back.

"uhm...uhm what host bar?"

"Rangiku told me like a minute ago that she left you there two days ago! She said she totally forgot about it since she came home passed out until she suddenly felt like she was missing something."

The phone was silent on both ends as neither said any words.

Orihime's heart beat with shrilling speed as the seconds ticked by and the silence grew. Finally, what had seemed like an eternity, she finally bolstered up all of her courage and spoke; a hint of despair faltering her confidence.

"Uhm, yes. Of course everything is alright."

"What about the money? I nearly killed her when I found out she left you behind without even paying! It must have been a hell lot of money!"

She could already tell that Tatsuki-chan was growing impatient with every hesitant answer that she delivered. She had to be slick about this. She had to be slick about lying.

"OH! Uhm... don't worry about that Tatsuki-chan! My uhm...well they said if I only work for about a month, all the payment will be taken care of!"

"WHAT! YOU HAVE TO WORK THERE? I'M GOING TO KILL HER!"

"WAIT TATSUKI-CHAN!"

Orihime screamed into the phone as she wildly began to flare her arms around in the air.

"No Tatsuki-chan! Don't worry, please! I needed a job anyway!"

"Why? Why the hell would you need a job? Especially at a host bar? I can't allow that Orihime! Do you need money? I can always let you borrow money, Orihime! Think about what you are saying!"

Panic flooded into her mind as thoughts and words began to cluster. Oh no. If Tatsuki-chan says anything, anything at all, everyone would be in trouble. Not only would she have to meet deadly consequences, such as the police, however, more then anything she knew her friends would be in danger. The man had warned her about his 'sources' and 'grave consequences', if anyone else were to be involved in her business. She couldn't have something like that happen, just because of her.

Orihime took in her last deep breath of air to calm her shaking nerves and replied in a calm voice.

"I asked for them to allow me to work there."

"...What?"

"Tatsuki-chan, please do not worry. Rangiku-chan did pay before she left, but she probably doesn't remember because she was drunk."

"But why would you want to work there?"

Orihime sighed in relief as she realized that Tatsuki-chan was all ears for her.

"Well...Tatsuki-chan, I don't have support."

"...What do you mean?"

"Uhm, I need to earn money for college and we're already Juniors. I'm not fully confident that I could keep up with my perfect grades and just in case of a backup plan, I thought it'd be wise to work a job to earn money."

"Orihime, you shouldn't worry about that. You should be confident since you're one of the top students at our school and even so, why...a host bar?"

"Well uhm, first of all they give twice as much pay for an hour that an ordinary high school student is supposed to make, and they only demand night hours-"

"ORIHIME! LISTEN TO YOURSELF! ARE YOU SAYING YOU'LL SELL YOUR BODY FOR MONEY?"

"...huh?"

Orihime gasped.

"Tatsuki-chan! What are you saying! Of course not! I'm fairly cleaning their glasses and working at the cashier! Tatsuki-chan! Don't think like that!"

Both ends were silent as the awkward misunderstanding sank in. She contemplated for a brief minute before she sighed with deep relief. Of course Orihime wouldn't do such lowly and lewd things just for the sake of money, she knew her better than that.

As a sigh of relief was heard on the other end, Orihime anxiously twisted the phone cord around her fingers, carefully listening to every single intake of breath that her friend took.

Silence stirred until Tatsuki finally spoke with defiant approval.

"Alright, Orihime. I believe you but promise to call me every day after you come home from work. I don't care how late it is and on weekends, if you aren't busy, I want to go and visit you. Alright?"

"Yes, I promise and, Oh! Tatsuki-chan, please don't tell the others. I don't want them to worry. Please?"

"Alright, but you have to keep my request as well, okay?"

"Yes! Thank you, Tatsuki-chan."

With a given cheerful answer from her beloved friend, Tatsuki reluctantly shared her last goodbye before hanging up the phone with a sigh. Tatsuki knew that she'd see Orihime tomorrow either way so she decided to get ready for bed and interrogate her further tomorrow face to face.

* * *

_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep _

Orihime clutched onto the phone as the other line went dead. Her face grew cold as her throat went dry, just as if she had just swallowed a hard pill. She felt a stinging in her eyes which grew into a familiar reminder of what she had just did.

She had lied.

Not only had she lied, but she had lied to her one and only best friend, Tatsuki. She was everything and anything that was like a sister, family, and she had sacrificed everything for her; yet, she had betrayed her. A sudden urge of swirling guilt and regret, she desperately wanted to call out. She desperately wanted to break down and spill everything out to her dear friend.

Quietly clicking the phone back into place, she stood there motionless as conflicting emotions and worries continued to wash over her; drowning her senses and blocking her mind.

She felt so disgusted with herself.

Then, unconsciously she picked the phone back up and shakily began to dial Tatsuki's number until it finally dawned, or rather smacked her.

"_...I'm afraid there will be grave consequences for not only you, but for you dearest ones as well."_

It echoed and hung in the air. What he had told her before she left, she knew for a fact, a deep feeling in her gut, that he would never play games.

She slammed the phone back down in place and slid down to the ground, quietly embracing herself in the dark, praying for her anguish to wash away.

* * *

The morning bell of Karakura high school rang out across the campus as Tatsuki rushed past its gate, respectively bowing down to the teachers and sharing light-hearted morning greetings.

"Tatsuki!"

Tatsuki turned around as Rangiku called out to her along with their other fellow classmates. She smiled warmly and greeted all her friends as they shared stories about their weekends, gradually walking towards their classrooms. Midway chatting with Rangiku, Tatsuki suddenly realized someone was missing.

"Where's Orihime?"

"Hm?"

Rangiku turned around to question Tatsuki who was deliberately looking around the school campus in search of her best friend. Detecting the urgency from the purple haired hot head, she decided to reassure her with sincerity as she slapped her on the back.

"Don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure Hime-chan is already in the classroom studying for the test today!"

Tatsuki looked up at the curvaceous woman and gave her a firm nod; eyes still hinting at her worries. As Tatsuki and the group of friends seperated ways and entered their classes, Ichigo, Rukia, Ishida, and Chad were all spotted except for Orihime. Panic began to settle in at the pit of her stomach as her not-so-usually vivid imagination began to run wild.

Why wasn't she at school? Was she kidnapped? Was everything yesterday a lie? No...Orihime would never lie to her, and even if she did, she would have known in less than a blink of an eye. But then, why wasn't she at school today? Why today?

"Yo, what's up?"

Ichigo simply waved at Tatsuki and her friends as she was drowning herself in her own ridiculous worries. Then, she snapped back and hastily asked Ichigo, unconsciously clenching her fists at the building frustration.

"Ichigo, do you know where Orihime is?"

"Uhm, I thought she came to school with you today...?"

"..."

Then it snapped.

Tatsuki spun on her heel as she was ready to tear through the crowd and sprint to her friend's house, not wanting to lose a second to the ticking clock. If she wasn't there, then something was definitely wrong, and she would kill, literally rip the life out of Rangiku and feed her body to the dogs.

Tatsuki spun around and reached the classroom door and rammed it open, ready to dash out until,

"Tatsuki-chan! Where are you going? Class is about to start!"

Standing face to face, right in front of her was the dear friend she had been dreadfully looking for; the same genuine smile, the same hairstyle, and the same hairpins. No doubt it was her dear friend, Orihime Inoue.

"ORIHIME-CHAN! I"M SOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY! I HONSESTLY NEVER MEANT TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT! I AM SOOO SORRY HIME-CHAN!"

Rangiku had practically pounced on top of Orihime as soon as she had stepped into the classroom, clinging on to her and unwilling to let go. Tatsuki was surprised herself, as she was pushed off to the side by the busty individual who was practically crushing Orihime in between her two massive monsters.

"I'M SOOOO SORRRY! I HEARD THAT I PAID BUT I SHOULD HAVE NEVER EVER LEFT YOU LIKE THAT! I'M SOOO SORRY! I DESERVE A DEATH SENTENCE!"

Orihime hardly caught her breath as she freed herself and reassured the busty indivdual.

"Oh! Rangiku-chan please don't worry about it! I'm alright and nothing too serious ha-"

"NOOOOOO IM SO SORRY, DONT SAY ANYTHING LIKE IT'S OKAY! I SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE SOMETHING SO STUPID LIKE THAT! I'M SO SORRY HIME-CHAN!"

Orihime sighed. She was ironically the one practically patting her friend on the back and cheering her up when it should have been the other way around. However, as eccentric and contradicting the situation was, she felt strangely content. Nothing had changed and no one had suspected anything which meant no one was in any danger. She brightly smiled and pried Rangiku off of her bust and reassured her acceptance for her apology. Rangiku nearly bawled as she thanked the petite girl before promising her a good days worth of dinner before running off to her own classroom.

Tatsuki sighed. She finally allowed herself to breathe as she felt the weight drop from her shoulders after seeing her best friend the same as any other day. Orihime smiled as she made her way toward the crowd, sharing her morning greetings, and blushing at the sight of Kurosaki. Nothing was different about her, and nothing was wrong, yet why was there still an ill feeling in her gut? It was as if she knew something was off, yet she couldn't quite jab her finger at it.

"Hey, Orihime."

"Tatsuki-chan! Hello and good morning!"

Tatsuki smiled back at her merry friend. Nothing was wrong and nothing mattered to her as long as Orihime was happy and safe. That was all that mattered. Reassured that nothing was wrong, she deliberately shared her last goodbye before leaving Orihime's classroom with a light heart.

"Yo, Inoue. Why are you so late this morning? You're usually really early."

Ichigo asked as he plopped down into his seat, resting his feet on top of the school desk.

"Oh! I seem to have overslept, even though I did have my alarm clock on. Very unusual of me, but I'm still here on time."

"Oh well, what you doing today after school?"

"Oh, uhm, I have plans. I'm sorry."

"Ah, I see. Well, no problem."

Orihime slightly blushed as she quietly took her seat and pulled out her school books and supplies. Ichigo silently stared at her from the corner of his eye with his head turned to the other side, concentrating on her every move.

Something was strange about her behavior that he just couldn't pinpoint. Or, maybe it was just him, or possibly that disgusting soup his father had cooked for him this morning since Yuzu was sick.

The school bell rang out as Orihime shuffled through her bag and neatly placed the rest of her books out in front of her. She sighed as she murmured through her neatly written notes, whining momentarily at certain parts.

"I really hope the test isn't too hard..."

Ichigo almost fell out of his own chair as he gawked at the mention of a 'test.'

"What? What test?"

"Huh? Oh we have a test today Kurosaki-kun! It's on the last lesson of 8.3 where we learned about the trigonometric values of the sine, cosine, and tangent equations!"

"FUCK!"

Orihime's smile slightly faltered at Ichigo's vulgar language before she returned to her own studying; Ichigo on the sidelines panicking and rummaging through his papers in search of his notes. Seconds later, the teacher walked in with a cheerful greet before she announced the test in due date and passed them out. Ichigo huffed in defeat as he slumped toward his desk and grudgingly received his own paper. Hoping that looking at Orihime would give him all the answers, he glanced over at the girl in distress. Their eyes met for a brief second as Ichigo pouted and Orihime smiled. She whispered a silent "good luck" before she returned to her own test paper and dug herself in.

* * *

_Ding-dong-dang-dong_

The last afternoon school bell rang out across the campus as the day had come to an end. Orihime sighed, she had a mountain's worth of pile of homework to do and she just wanted to crash into bed and sleep the rest of the day away. She sat in her seat, sharing her last goodbyes with her friends, and slowly packed her school bag unwillingly.

She glanced at the clock and suggested that it'd be better for her to study at the library. Cheering herself up, she finished packing her heavy bag, and stepped out of the classroom, only to be met by Tatsuki, Rangiku, Ichigo, Rukia, Ishida, and Chad. They had been waiting for her in front of the school building.

"Yo, Inoue"

Ichigo called out to her as he waved in her direction. Orihime spotted her crowd, and ran over to them in a bright manner.

"Hi! What is everyone waiting out here for?"

Rangiku chimed in as she put her arm around the petite girl.

"Wanna come with us to the movies Hime-chan?"

Orihime smiled as she shook her head.

"I'm really sorry, but I really have a lot of homework to do. You guys should go and watch it and tell me about it tomorrow during lunch! But, I'm sorry, I can't go on weekdays."

"I told you she was too busy. Do you ever listen to anything we say you idiot?"

"WHAT! Shut up before I hurt you real bad!"

Ichigo raised his fist at Ishida, who showed no interest in the threat as he fixed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. Rangiku lightly took her arm off of the girl as she pouted and complained. Tatsuki gazed over at her friend before she announced her dismissal as well.

"Sorry guys, but I have to go to my karate lesson too. You guys can go but I'm gonna have to miss this one."

"I agree that I shall have to ask for my dismissal as well."

Ishida readjusted his glasses as they glinted its reflection of the sun.

"What, you gonna go and do your gay clothing design?"

"Shut up! It is not GAY! It's highly educational and professional; something that a dimwitted hardhead like you will never understand."

"WHA-! THAT'S IT! BRING IT YOU GAY CLOTHING MAKING PERVERT!"

As the moment spurred, Orihime laughed quietly to herself before she shared her last goodbyes with her other friends. Tatsuki smiled and had her little sidetalk with Orihime before running the other way. Orihime quietly excused herself from the crowd as she slowly made her way to the library. She sighed with each step as the weight of her bag seemed to grow with every loathing footstep. Finally arriving and finding a decent corner for some long hours of reading, she plopped herself down and opened up her books. Taking in a final deep breath, she was finally ready to tackle her fifteen page essay.

* * *

"Miss. Miss, we are closing now."

A groggy auburn headed girl slowly rose her head off from the desk as she glanced up at the individual who had wakened her.

"...huh?"

"I'm sorry, but it's past midnight and we close early on Mondays."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I'll leave as soon as I pack my things."

"Thank you, and I'm sorry about the inconvenience."

"Haha, it's okay."

The librarian left with a thank you as Orihime hastily packed her bag. She glanced around the library and realized that she was the only one left. Slighlty ashamed with herself, a tinted blush ran across her face as she quickly thanked the librarian before stepping out into the chilly evening air. Rubbing her arms with her hands, she quickly paced herself down the empty streets and headed for her house; slightly feeling a rush of urgency at the view of the setting sun.

* * *

_Click_

Orihime pushed her apartment door open and kicked her own shoes off as she threw her heavy bag off to the side. She sighed with content as she found her way toward her big white bed and plopped her weary and exhausted form on top. She quickly stripped herself out from her school uniform and neatly folded them off to the side before she changed into her sleep wear. Going through her regular routine of taking a shower and sharing her daily experiences with her brother, she crawled into bed and glanced at the time.

_11:20 P.M._

Sighing at the long awaited serenity, she reached for the last night light and turned it off with a click. Honestly, ever since she had come home, something had been bothering her as she felt like she had forgotten something quite important. However, as her exhaustion slowly devoured her bit by bit, she dangerously hovered in and out of sleep. Just as she was about to surrender to the slumber, a ringing came from her door as it echoed through her living room and into her room.

_Ding-Dong_

Her eyes snapped open at the sudden call from her door. How strange. Who in the world would ever come to her apartment at this time of the night? Her heart began to flutter as she slowly and quietly rose herself off from the bed. Sliding her silky sheets off her body and meeting the cold tile floor, she stood up against the silence and quietly tip toed her way out into the living room and toward the front door. The pitter patter of her feet echoed and bounced off the walls, unusually louder than usual. Her frail hand hesitated for a moments being as she refused to click the lights on; she was too afraid to turn them on as it would expose her presence.

She stood in front of her door as the unusual solemn silence drowned the atmosphere. Then, her doorbell rang once more. Her heart jumped at the sudden knocking that came from the other side, her eyes growing as wide as saucers as her breathing staggered.

With a barely audible voice she called out, hoping for a reassuring reply.

"...he-hello?"

No answer.

"...uhm...hello?"

Gathering the little courage that she had left, she timidly placed her hand upon the lock and positively persuaded herself before she finally decided to crack her door open and peek out into the darkness.

Her door's screeching was awfully loud as it stirred the still air. She could hear her own heart ramming against her chest as she gripped onto the door knob and promised to slam it shut if there were a single sign of a suspicious individual. She cracked the door barely open and peaked outside. She squinted her eyes for a better view only to see no one.

No one was there.

Was someone playing a practical joke on her? She had heard about that on the news quite recently, that many middle school kids would go and ding-dong ditch different doors. Relieved that it was nothing despite her imagination, she decided to open her door a little wider for a better confirmation. She closed her eyes in slight aggravation as she slung the door open, ready to warn or scold the kids. She took a moments breath and opened her eyes, ready to rather reassure herself so she could drag herself back to bed in peace. Then, before she could even respond, someone, or something pushed her back into the house with overwhelming force. She yelped at the sudden thrust as pain erupted from her back, crashing against the wall.

Her eyes screwed shut at the sudden terror that consumed her body. Someone had forced themselves into her house. She felt her back slam against the side of the wall as the other individual pinned her against it with a cold and ruthless hand.

She was shaking. She was shaking uncontrollably as tears formed in her eyes, dangerously about to spill. Was it a monster? Was it a robber? Was he or she or it going to kill her? Why was it doing this? Why were they so angry?

The firm hand on her shoulder gripped it in a painful manner. For a dreadful couple of seconds, no words were spoken, and no movements were made. The silence seemed to drag on as her heart continued to painfully pound against her chest. Then, the solemn blackness lit up against her closed eyes as the cold hand that had been firmly pushing her against the wall slightly retreated. Slightly startled at the sudden mercy, Orihime quietly whimpered and flinched unconsiously, as if expecting a harder blow. But instead, a familiar cold and impassive voice called out to her.

"You dissapoint me, woman."

The tears that were about to spill over retreated as her shaking came to a halt. Clearly recognizing the voice, Orihime opened her eyes as they slowly adjusted to the dark room and focused on the individual inches away from her.

"...Ulquiorra?"

Her grey orbs which had been slightly blurred from the tears, adjusted to the ominous intruder; a man of a pale face ornate of green streaks with shaggy raven hair.

"Woman, I inquire you as to why you have not come today."

The man towered over her frail body, his face inches away from hers. His breathing washing over her ear as he held his threatening stance. She could feel his heat, his breath, and his heart. They were so intimately close, and alone, in her house.

Meeting his stern gaze, Orihime had finally realized as to why he had intruded into her house at this late of an hour. It finally slapped her across the face as she had finally remembered what she had forgotten. Her eyes widened at her own mistake.

"Oh my god."


	10. Trapped

**Chapter 9: Trapped**

* * *

"I'm asking for an explanation woman. Why have you chosen not to come today? Aizen-sama is not pleased with your foolish behavior."

Ulquiorra's grip on her shoulder tightened as Orihime only looked up at him without providing any answers. She flinched as he glared at the shaken girl.

"...I-I forgot..."

The tight grip on her shoulder tightened to an extent of nearly breaking her bone as Ulquiorra's other hand slammed against the other side of her head and against the wall. Surprised by the sudden impact as well as the pain, she yelped; panic blooming on her face.

Ulquiorra slowly brought his mouth just over her ear as he whispered his threat, feeling her body quiver against his.

"Listen, woman. I am in no position to want to waste my time with _trash_ like you. Since Aizen-sama has put me in charge of your pathetic existence, I advise you to be sensible before you choose to make another mistake like this."

Orihime turned her head to the other side as Ulquiorra basically breathed into her ear. When he slowly retreated himself from the intimate position, she looked back at him with a loss of words. Her heart had been pounding against her chest as she strangely felt dazed and light-headed. Then, out of the sudden blue, Orihime's house phone rang. Ulquiorra let her frail body go as he casusally stepped away from her, watching her snap back and hastily run around her house in search of her phone.

"Oh no, I bet its Tatsuki-chan and I can't find my house phone!"

She rummaged through her own clothes, behind her sofa, and under her bed as Ulquiorra quietly stood there, frankly irritated. He could hear her phone ringing from the kitchen, so he casually walked over and undoubtedly her phone was sitting next to the stove, obnoxiously screaming.

Ulquiorra picked it up without much though and answered it. He clicked it's green button and brought it up to his ear when-

"NOOOOO! ULQUIORRA-KUN!"

Ulquiorra literally stepped back at the girl's sudden shriek as she snatched the phone out of his hand and calmed herself down before answering in an awkward manner.

"uhm,uhm hello? Oh, Tatsuki-chan! Oh yes. Yes I've just come back. No, no, nothing unusual. Yes. Yes. Of course, I'll see you tomorrow at school-."

She glanced over at Ulquiorra who had his gaze sternly fixed on her. Uncomfortable, she turned away from him and roamed around her house, touching and playing with her household objects as an attempt to ignore him.

"-Yes. Okay. Yes, maybe...Alright then. Goodnight Tatsuki-chan!"

Silence was replaced as the click of her phone confirmed the end of their conversation. Then, a loud sigh was emitted from the petite girl as she shrugged her shoulders and turned around, gripping her phone against her chest; a questioning look adorning her face. Ulquiorra ignored her and made his way towards the front door as he spoke.

"Get ready now woman. I'm taking you to the bar."

"Eh! Right now? But I thought my time was already over and I can't go right now! It's already one in the morning and I have school tomorrow with a really big tes-"

"Silence woman. You shall follow me without any more of your idle banter before I dispose of of your existence."

"B-but, I really-"

"That is an order."

Without another word, Ulquiorra stepped out into the dark hallway as he took his car keys out that jingled against his hand. Without another glance back at the dumbfounded girl, he stoically stepped out of the house and closed the heavy apartment door behind him.

* * *

The night was quiet and long as the silent humming of the car vibrated through Orihime's body. She quietly stared out the tinted glass window as everything blurred past her eyes. She had been like that for quite a while, noting the solemn silence that continued to stir in the air. Frankly bored, she glanced over at the unresponsive man that had been driving in silence. She was bored; and quite badly. Hoping that he would notice her unpronounced request of tuning in a little music, she thought about calling out his name.

_...Actually, that would be a foolish thing to do since he'll ignore me anyway..._

Giving up to her thoughts, instead, Orihime glanced over at the glowing clock.

1:36 A.M.

Unconsciously as her eyes began to wander around in the car, they soon landed on Ulquiorra. She knew that he was aware of her continuous glances, but she honestly couldn't help herself. She had never realized that he was actually, ironically and surprisingly, good-looking. His pale skin was a strange yet beautiful contrast against his jet-black hair and his perfectly defined features. However, more than anything else about his face were his deep jade eyes. They seemed to hold so much sadness and a emotion that no man would ever be able to explain in words.

"...Ulquiorra-kun"

"..."

"...Ano...I was wondering, but why did you become a host?"

Nothing was said and no gesture was made. Only a simple glance of his jaden eyes gave her his awknowledgement. It was short and almost uncouth, yet for some unknown reason, her heart skipped a beat and her face began to burn. Silence returned as she tore her gaze away from him went back to concentrating on the blurring figures outside.

A couple more minutes later they had arrived in a dark alleyway that seemed to be the backstreet from the main road. The black car pulled over to the side as the noisy grinding of dirt and gravel gave her the cue. Pulling the car into parking gear, Ulquiorra quietly shut his engine off before speaking coldly.

* * *

"We are here. You must go to the back door of our bar and you will be greeted by another individual named Szayel. He will escort you to your duties."

"...Okay. I understand."

Orihime swiftly gathered her stuff as she unbuckled the seatbelt and opened the door to Ulquiorra's car. Quietly she stepped out into the black night. Realizing that she had forgotten to thank the man, she turned around and smiled.

"Thank you for the ride, Ulquiorra-kun."

No response was given as Ulquiorra remained seated in his car.

"...are you leaving?"

"Yes. I have my own duties tonight."

Stepping away from the car, Orihime gave a quick nod before Ulquiorra roared his engine back to life as he steered the black car out of the parking spot. Then in less than a second, with a loud pain-staking screech, he had disappeared from her sight and into the busy night life of Shinjuku, Japan.

* * *

Taking out his lighter and lighting his last cigarette, Ulquiorra rolled down his window, until his phone began to vibrate in his black suit. Giving it a quick glance and recognizing who it was, he threw his phone off to the side in the passenger seat as he stared out in front of him. Only concerned with his current duty, he decided to ignore the phone call as he drove down the busy road.

"_Why did you become a host?"_

It kept echoing around in his head, as if it was hanging in the air. It was such an unreasonable and almost random question that actually threw him off for a second, making him lose his cool composure. No one, not a single client of his had asked him that before. Of course, in general, they would not since they only cared about the sex, however, why was she interested? Did she expect him to share his long and heartful story of his whole life's decisions to this job?

_...How foolish..._

Finally pulling over at his destination in front of a polished hotel, Ulquiorra turned his engine off and rested his head back against the seat, letting the serene silence sink in for just a while. Then, when his phone began to vibrate again, he swiftly answered it, already predicting who it would be. After a short answer and confirmation of his next customer, he pulled his keys out and opened his car door, ready to carry on his last duty for the night.

* * *

"uhm...ano hello?"

Ulquiorra had told Orihime where to go and had even pointed in the direction in order to guarantee that she wouldn't lose her way; however, as unfortunate as it was, she was lost.

Using the common sense she had, Orihime opened a black backdoor and peeked inside. All she was able to see was a long black hallway that seemed to meet no end; it was daunting and strangely intimidating enough to send chills down her back. Slightly worried about the possibility of intruding into a room at an extremely awkward moment, she was about to turn back on her heel and leave. However, only in her dreams, would that be possible without digging her own grave. Gathering the little courage and confidence she had, she timidly and quietly tip-toed her way down the black hall.

At the end of the hall, she came upon another black door. She stood in front of it and hesitated. She was debating with herself and finally, just as a precaution, she pressed her ear against it and heard muffled murmurs of chatting, laughter, and music. Slightly feeling better and little more confident at her presumption, she grabbed the golden handle and turned it, ready to enter. Then, just as if on cue, a man with pink hair walked out at the right exact moment she had walked in.

There was a loud bang as the two crashed into each other.

"...Ouuuch!"

Orihime rubbed her forehead furiously as she squirmed and whined at the pain. The man that had collided with her picked up his white-rimmed glasses from the floor and fixed them, adjusting his sight before accusing the person in front of him as an intruder. Then, when he had realized who it was, he raised himself off from the floor and lent a gentle hand towards the auburn girl, introducing himself with a smile.

"Hello, Orihime-chan. It's nice to see you again."

When the pain that had been ringing in her head numbed down a bit, she looked up at the man and smiled.

"Oh, hello! Nice to see you again-"

"I believe you may address me as Szayel, or octavo espada."

"-Szayel-kun!"

The pink-haired man smiled warmly at the girl as he helped her up. After sharing their brief hello's and welcome's, he reopened the door for her and motioned for her to make her way in.

"Ladies first."

Quietly giggling at his mockery of politeness, Orihime walked in and took in the familiar atmosphere. It was crowded, just like that night, and the women and men were prosperous. Everyone seemed to be having a good time as all the host men were busy entertaining their client. She had been momentarily lost in her own thoughts to the night that had led up to her back at the club. Interrupting her contemplation was Szayel as he called out to her.

"This way, Orihime-san."

Snapping away from the elegant scene before her, she quickly tagged along her current guider. They walked through another big door as he escorted her down a couple of more halls and rooms before finally coming up to a familiar ominous door. Without any hesitation, Szayzel politely knocked as he called out in a formal tone.

"Aizen-sama, a guest has arrived."

Giving her a quick glance, he gave her a deliberate nod before instructing her to open the door herself and walk in. Receiving his order, she reached for the black door and pushed against it with trembling fingers.

"Come in, my dear."

Giving a last glance at Szayzel, he respectively bowed before dismissing himself. Gazing at the now closed doors, Orihime faced the most feared man, Aizen.

"Good evening, Inoue-san."

Her heart was beating furiously against her chest as she clutched her own arm; an attempt to soothe her own fear. Meeting the demoralizing man's eyes, she looked away from the eminently wry smile that seemed to bear through her soul.

"I was afraid that you wouldn't be showing up tonight."

"Gomenesai..."

"But, I'm glad you did. Was it Ulquiorra who had escorted you here?"

"...Yes"

"I see."

Aizen had been resting his own face on the brim of his knuckles, staring at the girl before him, adorning his usual cynical smile.

"Well, miss Orihime. I believe it is too late for any advanced business to be taken place today; therefore, I shall have you see Szayel-kun. He may have a couple of duties for you to take care of. However, Miss Orihime, if another absence or mistake like this is to be made in the future, I hope you do realize what may be to come."

"...Yes, I understand."

"Good, you may go see Szayel now."

After Aizen had finished his small talk with the girl, he turned his gaze away from her as he went back to his own paperwork. Seconds later, she heard another knock from the door before Szayel had returned in order to fetch her, leaving the man's throne room with a quick dismissal and apology.

* * *

"So, that must be the new girl that everyone is so 'yped up about, ain't it?"

A familiar man who had been standing in the corner during Aizen and Orihime's conversation slowly slithered his way out from the shadows.

"Ya sure got yer'self one 'eck of a girl."

"Now, how disrespectful of you to be eavesdropping, Gin."

"I thought I was always a welcome guest, always yer special one."

His smile stretched from ear to ear as the lavender haired man crawled his way up Aizen's desk, catching his gaze, face to face. Aizen merely smiled as he slightly cocked his head to side.

"What are ya intendin' to do with 'er, Aizen-_sama_?"

"That, my dear companion, is a secret."

* * *

"EEEEEEEKKKK!"

A piercing shriek along with the clashing of dishes shrieked through the halls as Szayel dropped his board and ran towards the kitchen.

"Oh, Szayel-kun! I'm really, really sorry. I tried to get those dishes and I slipped and fell. I'm really sorry!"

Szayel intently stared at the mess before him as he sighed deeply. This girl was never going to get anywhere. He tried to make her clean the tables; she only ended up bumping into customers. He tried to make her clean the bathroom; she only ended up drowning the toilet. He tried to make her be the cashier, but the guys never left her alone. And now, he tried to make her wash the dishes and she ended up losing more of them. How helpless.

Szayzel sighed as he slowly knelt down and helped her pick up the remaining pieces of glass to throw away.

"I'm sorry..."

"Oh, don't worry. It's alright."

Orihime looked up at Szayzel with a thankful expression for his kindness. After they had finished retrieving all the broken pieces of glass, Szayzel looked over at the sink. Everything was clean and out of the way which was actually quite the unexpected result.

"It seems like you have successfully finished your task for today, Orihime-san."

"Oh, yes. It was quite hard, but the thing is, I'm actually quite good at all home things since I live alone. However, it seems as though I'm just a little nervous today..."

"Oh, I see. Well, don't worry about that. You'll get plenty of time to adjust here, hopefully."

Orihime smiled back in response as she finished organizing the plates and cleaning the sink to a sparkle. Finally satisfied with her accomplishment, Orihime stretched out her back as she yawned.

"Ano, Szayel-kun, would you know what time it is?"

"It is 3:27 A.M."

Orihime frowned as she looked back as Szayzel with exhaustion. Szazyel only smiled back as he decided to offer the little rest she could get.

"Here, may I escort you to espada quarto's quarters for your rest before school?"

"Uhm, espada quarto's?"

Szayel guided her toward a different hall as they were now walking down a black hallway and toward the espada's quarters. Szayel explained to her the immediacies of policies, rules, and the people she would have to know about Hueco Mundo as he answered her every question to the best of his abilities.

"Oh, and don't worry. He won't be coming back today so you may sleep in his temporary room. Well, technically everyone has a temporary room here in Hueco Mundo since we switch host member working times from time to time. I could let you sleep in my room, but I think you would rather prefer not to."

"Eh? How come?"

"Well, strangely enough, I am quite a science freak so my room does not smell nice."

With a small 'oh', Orihime contently smiled back Szayzel's kindness. Walking past a few more doors and corners, a question that Orihime had been dying to ask suddenly popped up.

"Ano, Szayzel-kun?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering, but do you know Ulquiorra-kun...well?"

Szazyel hadn't been expecting that one. He slightly halted in his footsteps before he resumed as he decided to keep quiet to her question.

"...I was just hoping that you could tell me since he's in charge of -"

There was a small oomph before Orihime could finish her sentence as she had run into somebody else again. Feeling the slight twang of pain run through her nose, she looked up at the other individual in order to apologize. But what she had been expecting to meet, her eyes met upon something else. He seemed to be frankly over six feet tall with shaggy black hair. His face was long and dark, his left eye hidden behind a black eye patch. The sound of clanking metal heard with every small movement the giant man made.

When their gazes met, it was an experience that Orihime had wished to turn back. His glare was nowhere near friendly and his eyes, they held an intent to kill. He was tall and strong enough to tower over her and clearly devour the life out of her. She was helpless under his shadow as he seemed to bring the darkness over her. Completely lost at words by his daunting figure, Orihime only stared back, consumed by fear.

The man only sneered and spat, before casually walking away.

"Orihime-san. If I am going to inform you of anyone to stay away from, I definitely will advise you that he must always be avoided."

Orihime glanced back at the pink haired man with frightened grey orbs. Szayzel only glanced at her before staring off into the direction of metal heavily clanking against each other.

* * *

"And this is quarto espada's, Ulquiorra-kun's room, or more professionally put, quarters."

Szayzel smiled brightly as he opened the door and motioned for her to step inside and take her rest. Orihime smiled and whispered a small thank you as she stepped in and looked around.

The room itself was actually quite bland and not surprisingly, gloomy. The walls were white, tinted with a slightly dirty vanilla color as the lights helped illuminate a grey color. His bed sheets and everything else around it were black and white, his furniture the typical wooden type. The room consisted of nothing but a bed, a nightstand, a sofa and a huge bookshelf.

Orihime wandered toward the bookshelf and innerly gasped with what she had found. The bookshelf itself was not that large, however, what filled every crook and nook were a collection of different novels in different languages. She gently ran her fingers through the books as she wondered in awe. Most of them were romantic classics, some that she could not understand even if she tried.

"Ulquiorra-kun is actually the smartest person that I know."

"It's amazing."

"Yes, and surprisingly enough, he has never attended school before."

"You mean not even elementary school? That's amazing Szayzel-kun! It's like as if he is a genius!"

Szazyel laughed as he answered in content.

"Yes, he is."

Szayzel watched her flip through the pages of the books before he looked at the time.

"Well, Orihime-san. It's nearly 4 A.M. and I believe you need to get your rest before school. I shall come to pick you up in a couple of hours in order to assure that you do not lose your way out of this building."

Orihime looked up at him and smiled as she thanked him. Szazyel gave his quick goodbye as he turned back into his usual professional mode and respectfully excused himself. Orihime slightly giggled as he shut the door, leaving her to herself.

Orihime looked around the room. So this was what he was like. She had actually learned something about him today which was beyond what she had expected of. Every time she glanced back at the bookself, she marveled at how smart the stoic man actually was. And because she had never recieved her question as to why he had become a host man, seeing all the educational classic novels piqued her curiosity even more.

She blankly took a seat on the sofa when a sudden feeling of dormant lonelyness slowly crept over her. She had had been lost in her thoughts, however, after Szayel had left her alone, she realized how everything was uncomfortable, foreign, and intimidating. She glanced over at the bed as she noted that she would rather sleep on the sofa than in his bed.

Quietly sitting on the sofa, she hugged her knees closely to her body as she looked out the brightly lit window. The window seemed like an eyeglass, exactly facing the moon as it illuminated it's brightness and tickled her skin. Orihime gazed out in silence as the emotional and physical exhaustion took over her body. Laying her head against the armrest, she felt as the long awaited sleep stirred her into a gentle slumber.

Before she had known, she had become a trapped bird in a solitary cage.

* * *

**A/N: Tsk Tsk. Orihime always bumping into people, how clumsy can she be? But, honesty I'm like that too. T^T So I can symphathize with her clumsyness. **


	11. His Question

**Chapter 10: His Question**

* * *

_Click_

A tall pale figure walked into a dimmed room as they left a pair of keys on top of a wooden cabin. The figure shifted as it took off it's black shoes and sighed in exhaust. Then, it took out it's phone as they put it into manner mode, heavily sighing with exhaustion. It was already 6 o'clock in the morning and he was incredibly tired and annoyed. What he desperately needed was some genuine rest and he quietly promised himself that if there were anything in his way of achieving that goal, he would literally commit first degree murder.

Shuffling his hair, he quietly made his way to the bed as he loosened up his tie and undid his buttons; too lazy to dress into anything else. He had never been this physically drained before until today and it was horrible. The woman he had been paid 60 grand to serve that night was a nightmare. She was about in her late twenties and she was incredibly helpless and a pain in the ass. She knew nothing about sex and he was there doing nothing but listening to her drunken crying and complaining. And every time he tried to be reasonable enough in order to work the job he was paid to do, she wouldn't stop wailing and moaning about her physical appearance. I mean he had to honestly admit it wasn't the best, but it was particularly nothing to be so depress-

"Uhng…"

Ulquiorra stopped shuffling his hair as his gaze shifted toward his bed. Something had shifted under his covers. Ulquiorra stared in silence as confusion and annoyance drained his fatigue. Just to make sure, he walked back out the door and re-read the number on the door. Without a mistake, it had the bold golden number four nailed to it.

He entered his room once again and stared at the bed. Maybe he had misheard or mistaken the movement for something else because of his exhaustion. And just when he was about to lift the covers off, an orange head with vibrant long hair popped out from under. Ulquiorra sighed as he realized who it was. Frankly pissed and annoyed at the intrusion, he was going to have to have a word with Szayel about letting the girl intrude into his room.

Ulquiorra's features slightly twitched as he walked over to the edge of the bed and awakened the girl.

"...Woman"

He gently shook her shoulder as he spoke out against the serene silence.

"Woman"

"ungh…."

Ulquiorra shook her just a little harder as the woman showed a reaction. Just a couple moments later, the girl slowly groaned as she rubbed her eyes and pushed herself off from the soft sheets. When she had finally managed to recollect her groggy mind, she blinked a couple of times and stared.

What Orihime had expected to see was a friendly face that had softly called her name out. However, instead of a soft and smiling face full of quiet laughter, she was met with a stoic expression of pale white skin and piercing green eyes.

"Ulquiorra-kun?"

Orihime shrieked after she called his name out, finally recalling whose room she was in and whose bed she had been momentarily sleeping in.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I was sleeping on your couch but it was so cold and I-I really didn't mean to, I-I'm, I'll immediately get out and-"

Ulquiorra stared as he listened to her constant foolish babble. Finally fed up with it, he turned away as he made his way for the door.

"I shall provide you with 10 minutes to get ready and leave. As I recall, you have to attend school today, however you must go see Szayzel before your departure."

Orihime hesitated before she answered politely. And as soon as her answer had been given, Ulquiorra left the room as quickly as he had entered it. However, what had surprised her the most was the fact that he hadn't been angry with her and refer to her as the usual _insolent trash_. Quietly stunned at the thought, she quickly made his bed and readied herself for school.

* * *

Ulquiorra entered the large lounge where all the tables were. It really was interesting how different everything seemed compared to the flamboyant night working hours. Everything seemed hollow and empty. It was as if the sunlight did not hesitate to depict all of the hidden details of reality of the flamboyant facade. It was cruel and merciless.

Ulquiorra pulled down the blinds before finding his way toward one of the biggest crimson sofas. He then silently lied down with a sigh before he blankly stared at the golden ceiling. As if bothered by even the slightest shimmer of light, he put his arm over his forehead as an attempt to block everything out of his vision; an attempt to want to be swallowed by his own darkness once again.

* * *

**A cold damp room reeked of alcohol, enough to make one gag and sick.**

"_You filthy piece of shit! You deserve to fucking die!"_

**The stench of alcohol.**

"_You were never supposed to be fucking born! You ruined my fucking life you little shit!"_

**A couple of blows to the face and stomach.**

"_Go fucking kill yourself!"_

**A few desperate cries of begging.**

"_Oh that's fucking right. You better fucking beg cuz I will make you pay. I should have just killed you right when you were born. You're worthless! A nobody. Nothing. You're just a fucking piece of trash that should do everyone a favor and die!" _

**A blackout.**

* * *

Vibrant green eyes slowly opened as the pitter-patter sound of feet echoed across the hollow air. Ulquiorra shifted as he sat up and stared into her direction.

"Eh! Ulquiorra-kun!"

Ulquiorra questioned the miraculous appearance of the young woman again even though he had informed her to go and find Szayel.

"Ehto…I'm sorry but I can't find the exit nor Szayzel-kun, and I'm really worried because if I walk to school right now I'll definitely be late…and I don't know what to do…"

Ulquiorra's irritation was evident on his face now as he observed the troubled girl. He was hoping to get some rest but unfortunatley, much to his dismay, nothing seemed to go his way around the girl. Ulquiorra shuffled his hair in frustration as he stood from the sofa and looked at the troubled highschool girl with indifference.

"I will escort you to your school."

"Thank you, Ulquiorra-kun. I'm sorry for always being such a bother."

Without mentioning anything else, Ulquiorra walked out of the room and returned shortly with his car keys. He then motioned for the woman to follow him out of the building and to his vehicle. Honestly, Orihime was surprised that Ulquiorra had even suggested, or well it was more like a statement, to drive her. It was obvious that he was exhausted and tired and driving her seemed out of his original duties. She began to scold herself for depicting him to be a totally harmful and evil man.

Maybe he wasn't as cold and mean as she actually thought he was.

* * *

Shortly in less than 20 minutes, a grand black car screeched against the gravel in front of a complex building that read **Karakura Highschool; founded in 1984.**

Orihime quickly gathered her school books and looked at Ulquiorra. He seemed to be staring at the building before him; momentarily lost in his own thoughts.

"Uhm, Ulquiorra-kun?"

His emerald eyes slowly retreated from the scene as they turned toward the auburn girl; his stoic expression in place.

"anno, I have a question…"

Ulquiorra's indifferent expression was enough in order to motivate the woman's continuation.

"I was wondering if Ai-…., or you were put in charge of me for the next couple of months or so."

A simple answer was given.

"Yes."

"Then, are you also in charge of my taking care of me?"

"….Yes, I believe so"

Then, silence began to stir as the auburn haired girl began to fidget and blush; momentarily peeking over at the indifferent individual.

Even though his patience was wearing thin, he decided to wait it out until she finished her question, knowing that breaking her rhythm would be troublesome.

"Ulquiorra-kun?

Ulquiorra looked at her.

"If you are put in charge of me, and you take care of me, can you also be like a friend?"

Ulquiorra's eyes shifted as he tried to think of a good enough excuse for the beaming girl. He already knew what answer she was desperately expecting but that was something out of the question. She was being utterly foolish, therefore, he decided to be purely logical.

"Woman, you must understand that this is business we have concurred to run. And as part of the complicated industry's process, we must cooperate as colleagues in order to reach substantial goals. If you prefer to address to me as a "friend", then I shall not decline. However, I will not involve within any personal preferences that of which I imply you are referring to. However, because it has become my duty, only certain exceptions will be made."

Orihime smiled brightly. It a better answer than she had been expecting.

"Thank you Ulquiorra-kun!"

With that, Orihime promptly opened the car door as she jumped out. And before closing the door, once again, the young energetic girl turned around and waved with the possibly brightest smile that had ever been seen. As the first bell rung throughout the campus, he watched as all of the students dressed in similar attires moved in haste as the young girl too, grabbed onto her school bag and made a run for the school's entrance.

* * *

Ulquiorra sighed as he rested his head against the headrest, unwrapping a new box of cigarettes. He had a headache not only from the lack of sleep but as well as from the girl. The more time he spent with her, the more she seemed complex yet naïve. She was strange, yet easy to read; emotionally vulnerable yet strong. He had never met such a young woman that had intrigued him such as this and it was foreign. It was to a point as to where Ulquiorra did not know whether to question his sanity or the girl's charm. Wait, what? Charm?

Fed up with the constant ringing of the woman's nonsense in his head, Ulquoirra blared his engine back to life and screeched out from the campus.

He was going to stick to questioning his sanity.

* * *

"Miss Orihime!"

Orihime jolted up from her daze as she had just been caught dozing off by her homeroom teacher.

"Yes?!"

She bolted out of her chair as her face flushed beet red. The teacher had stopped the lecture as she walked towards the abashed girl.

"Orihime-san, are you alright?"

"Yes, sensei. Just, feeling a bit tired today….."

"Hm...You don't look too good either. I think you should go to the infirmary and rest for a while."

Orihime apologized as she quietly left the classroom, leaving Ichigo and Ishida exchanging questioning looks as they quietly glanced at each other.

* * *

The final school bell rang out across the campus as all the students began packing their belongings and rushing out of their classes. Orihime was exhausted to the max. She felt like her dark circles were reaching to her knees. Just as she was done packing, she headed out the classroom and was met with a few familiar faces of, Ichigo, Rukia, Ishida, and finally but not the least, Tatsuki.

Slightly startled at the huge crowd before her, she gave a stuttered greet.

"O-oh, good afternoon everybody!"

"Yo."

Ichigo gave a light greet as all her other fellow friends, especially Tatsuki, didn't seem very content; apprehension and concern plastered over the group.

"Inoue-san, are you alright?"

"You seemed really tired today and it isn't often you doze off like that in class. Has something been bothering you recently?"

Everyone began to crowd around her as they bombarded her with questions. It was enough to make her dizzy as she began to back into a corner. Then, a loud voice abruptly hushed the group of friends as it answered for her.

"She was busy yesterday because of me. I asked her to help me with homework till after midnight, sorry Orihime."

Tatsuki simply answered everyone. The group grew quiet as they all stopped their interrogations and gave a simple nod, telling Orihime not to over work herself. Orihime apologized and thanked her friends for worrying as they all began to disperse after sharing their goodbyes. As soon as everyone was out of sight, Orihime heaved a sigh as she let her weary knees fall to the ground.

"Thank you, Tatsuki-chan."

Tatsuki's solemn expression slowly softened out as she glanced at Orihime and helped her up.

"No problem, I always have your back for you. However, you have to promise me one thing Orihime."

"Huh?"

"Promise me that whenever your in trouble you'll always let me know."

"Eh? What do you mean Tatsuki-chan?"

"Orihime, just please, promise me."

They both locked gazes in silence until Orihime finally understood her friend's silent plea and gladly accepted.

"Yes, definitely!"

A warm smile was given back to her as an answer as Tatsuki warmly hugged her friend. Once the moment was over Tatsuki glanced at the time and shrieked.

"Shit! I'm late!"

She quickly grabbed her bag as she called out to Orihime one last time.

"And don't forget to call me, alright?"

"Hai! Understood!"

Tatsuki waved a quick goodbye as she brightly smiled, running against the clock for she was late for another lesson of kudo.

* * *

_What a reckless day…._

Orihime sighed as she repacked her bag and dragged herself herself out of the classroom. It was true that she was tired and felt a tad bit sick, sick to the stomach for lying to all of her friends; however, there was another job to be done tonight and she definitely wasn't going to forget it this time. Not unless she wanted to further irritate her scary pale escort.

She planned on dropping her school things off at home and grabbing a light dinner before heading on her way for her part time "job". Halfway across the school campus she noticed that many girls were pointing in a certain direction and running toward the school's main entrance. Having to exit through the school entrace either way, she decided to shortly glance at the center of interest as she nonchalantly walked toward the mob of squealing and gasping school girls. As the group continued to block her vision and way, she had an extremely hard time pushing through the jumping crowd until she had finally reached the front.

She gasped.

A tall muscular man with a bold physique, blue electric hair, leaning on a seven series Benz, with a malicious grin, stood there.

"Who is that guy?"

"He's really really hot!"

"Oh my god! Who do you think he's waiting for?"

"Wow, is that guy a host?"

Girls and guys were whispering back and forth as Orihime gasped at the familiar face of the blue haired man. She shook her head in denial as she convinced herself that this man was here for someone else and it had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with her. If any of her friends were to find out about this, she would be mutilated alive. Honestly, when she did see that blue haired man with his notorious shit-eating smirk, she didn't know whether to hide or to run. Anything to alert the uninformed and uninvited visitor standing right at your doorstep holding nothing but the bomb of social suicide was everything but welcoming. After a moments debate of juggling between running or hiding, she finally grasped onto both of the balls and decided to run and then hide.

Realizing that she was still undetected by the blue-haired man's radar, she quietly seeped back into the crowd of whispering peers. Finally wrestling her way out of the jungle of school bags, uniforms and bouncing female students, she held her breath; afraid that even the slightest notion could set off the detection.

She tried her best as she hugged her school bag against her chest and possibly tip-toed away from the crowd. What she did forget however was the fact that she had the most vibrant and visible orange hair in all of Karakura High. She had never really expected that her god forsaken blazing orange hair would basically be yelling out, "I'm here! I'm over here!", because as soon as she had isolated herself from the bouncing and squirming group of female students, Grimmjow's radar blared.

"Ey! You! Stop right there!"

Orihime froze against the bark as all the other group of squealing fan girls hushed their admirations and slowly turned forward the frozen victim.

She dared herself not to turn around hoping that doing so would insinuate at his false assumption; hoping that he would give up the mysterious find and return to his captain's quarters but no. She heard the flat clicking of his heels against the concrete floor growing closer and closer until they flatly stopped behind her. She heard her own heart pound against her ears as she squeezed her school bag against her chest, choking the life out of herself.

"Yo, are ya that Orihime chick?"

A burning hand was put on her heavy shoulder as shallow gasps flew from her every breath. Nothing came to her mind as if that single hand triggered a mind paralyzing effect. Then, without warning, the blue haired man turned Orihime around forcefully as his eyes clicked with amusement, his face ornated with an angry smirk as he spat his words out against her face.

"Heh. Found ya."

* * *

"Whose that fugly bitch?"

"Have any of you guys seen her before?"

"I think she goes to Karakura high."

"Well naw duh you stupid bitch. It says that on her fucking uniform!"

Four tall, intimidating girls hissed and snarled at each other as they stood behind the shadows of the school's side gates. They all wore their red and white uniforms that read "Arrancar privates", crossing their arms and staring in disgust at the scene before them.

"You think she's the one?"

A tall girl with short red shaggy and unkept hair wearing highly contrasting dark black makeup spoke in a raspy tone as her features contorted with disgust.

"Miomi doesn't know Naki, but by the looks of it, Miomi believes so."

A fairy light skinned girl with pitch black hair and sparkling green eyes giggled as she twirled around the group and clinged onto one particularly tall, blue haired and grey eyed girl; holding a mysterious yet intimidating aura.

"…isn't that right Lisa?"

"Yeah, I think that's her Miomi."

"Alright, well one of us should go and tell Loly…."

The thin light haired girl quickly hid behind her larger chestnut haired friend as she whined and stared down at the ground.

"….Miomi doesn't want to go alone…."

Lisa looked down at the frightened girl and sighed as she glanced over at Menoly, who was currently leaning against the old brick wall, informing of her irritation.

"Menoly-senpai, we shall return shortly after reporting this to Loly-senpai. Please excuse us for a while."

Menoly glanced over at Lisa, Miomi, and Naki, giving them a quick nod as they all quietly vanished behind the shadows. Menoly continued to stare at the scene before her. She honestly wasn't positive if that girl, who was currently screaming and yelling at the top of her lungs as she was being forcefully man handled into the back of a black car by Grimmjow, was who Loly was looking for.

"….Hm…"

Menoly clicked open her cellphone as she dailed a number.

"There's only one way to find out…"

The other end of the receiver ringed until a dark mumble of a hello was heard.

"...Noitora-sama?"

* * *

"Let me go Grimmjow-kun!"

"Damn it! Can't ya fuckin' stay damn still?"

"No! Stop this! Put me down!"

Orihime pounded her fists against Grimmjow's back as he carried her on top of his shoulder. He growled at the irritating small slaps that held no harm.

"Grimmjow-kun! Please put me down, I can walk!"

Grimmjow glared down at Orihime as soon as he plopped her down on the nearest sofa of the bar. Orihime gathered herself together as she quickly bounced back up into a sitting position and glared back with full front anger. Grimmjow ignored her and found his own way onto the crimson sofa.

"How could you do that to me Grimmjow? If any of my friends find out about a strange man with blue hair kidnapping me in front of the school, they are going explode! Do you have any idea how much chaos you've actually created? Do you know how quickly rumors are spread? How do you expect me to survive school and-"

Grimmjow growled as he forcefully shoved his hand against her ranting and stared down at her in disgust. Her orbs grew as wide as saucers as they stared directly into icy blue ones, questioning his action.

"Listen, if ya say one more fuckin' word, I will punch tha' pretty little face of ya's in. So shut the fuck up and hopefully ya'll hear the whole damn story."

Grimmjow stared straight into her shaking orbs as he waited for her answer. She gave a very brief and very quiet nod.

"Aight then."

Grimmjow slowly removed his hand from her petite face as he began to explain his own reasons for his intrusion.

"Now, don't be fuckin' stupid, woman! Hell nah I didn't want to go in front of that hell hole. Hate that place."

Orihime carefully cocked her head to the side and asked.

"Do you mean school?"

"Yeah. Damn me too, woman! I fuckin' get back from my last hour of work and there I was, assigned to pick your ass up! Pissed tired but did my job. Shit, fuckin' did my damn job."

Grimmjow grumbled to himself as he scratched the back of his head and rubbed his face as if it would rub his exhaustion away.

"Anyway, ya better go see Emospada or some shit. I dunno, do whatever the fuck Szayel tells ya to do."

"….emo…spada?"

Orihime's intonation pitched at the end as she cocked her head to the side with confusion plastered over her face. Grimmjow glanced over at the girl and began to crackle. Slightly startled at the man's sudden barking, Orihime flinched, soon realizing that the cacophonous barking was his laughter.

"…Grimmjow-kun?"

Grimmjow cut off his laughter and crinkled a smile as he stared straight at the shooken girl.

"Emobitch is Ulquiorra."

Orihime mouthed a small "Oh", as she uncomfortable began to tug at her own skirt. Grimmjow crackled another laugh at his own joke as his sadistic grin stretched from ear to ear. As the moment began to spur, a sudden cough was heard that interrupted Grimmjow's moment.

"Who the fuck-"

"Grimmjow, I'm here to escort Orihime-san to Aizen-sama. He needs to have a word with her."

Grimmjow gave a low snarl as he slowly stood from the couch and streched his leggs, ready to take his long awaited rest. Somehow, even though Orihime herself did not know of what gesture to give as a thank you, she just blurted out a farewell that slightly blew Grimmjow's stance.

"T-Thank you for taking care of me, Grimmjow-kun!"

His slow sloppy trotting came to an abrupt halt as his slouched stance slowly turned around and gave another bark of laughter before finally making his way out of the room and disappearing.

"Whatever you say kid, whatever you say."

In seconds he was out of sight and replacing him was a pink haired gentlemen that smiled as he gave a respectful bow.

"Good evening, Orihime-san."

A bright smile was given in return."

"Good evening, Szayel-kun!"

Szayel gave a slow nod as he acknowledged her friendly greet. He then asked for her to follow him as he motioned towards a door and waited for her to collect her things.

"This way, please."

"Hai!"

Orihime giggled as she bounced up and walked passed Szayzel with a bright smile.

"So, what are my duties today, Szayzel-kun?"

They were walking down a fairly long yet dark hallway that illuminated the color of fresh blood as the lamps created illusions of anonymous shadows with every movement.

"I am not very sure, but I have been asked to escort you to Ulquiorra by Aizen-sama."

"Ulquiorra-kun?"

"Yes."

Orihime realized that the atmosphere seemed to grow stiffer, almost daunting as they continued to walk deeper into the crimson abysmal of the long hallway. However, she did not lose her smile as she forced it upon herself, worried that even the slightest recognition would expose her fear. Minutes later, they had arrived in front of an unnerving door that seemed to emit a cold aura through the cracks.

"Here we are."

Szayzel then knocked on the door and quietly opened its entrance as the creaking obnoxiously disturbed the silence. What Orihime had witnessed was beyond her imagination. The room was stunning. It was a simple room to begin with; however, everything depicted a sense of luxury and extravagance. The walls were golden red with an opulent ornamentation of red curtains and a dazzling crystal chandelier hanging in the air, creating small tingling sounds with the smallest bypass of wind. It was something more than she could have ever imagined. But, what she had noticed that seemed completely strange was the enormous king sized bed in the center of the room. No chairs, no tables; only a bathroom with a ridiculously enormous bed. And as naïve and innocent Orihime was, she had no idea what she had been brought into this room for.

"Szayel-kun?"

Orihime turned around and realized that he was no longer there. She had turned around a little too late as she saw a glimpse of the pink haired man before the door ended up closing on her. Soon, a click from the door was heard and in a matter of seconds realization smacked her in the face as she raced toward it and tried to shove it open.

It was locked.

Panic began to settle in the deepest part of her guts as she tried her best to shove it open, however, all attempts were futile. The door was locked from the outside and she was now trapped. She began to pound and bang against the door as she called out Szayel's name, begging him to open the door and let her out. However, her only answer was an echoing of the solemn silence.

"Szayel-kun! Please, open this door!"

She tried yelling and begging louder.

"Szayel-kun! Please!"

Silence.

Orihime dropped her bag as her exhausted form slowly fell against the floor. She honestly couldn't tell apart from reality and fiction anymore, she was confused, bewildered, angry, exhausted, frightened, and anxious. All these conflicting emotions seemed to merge into one unexplainable bulge that had exploded in her mind. Hopeless and realizing her futile attempts, she quietly recollected herself off from the cold crystal marble floor and treaded her way onto the crimson bed. She quietly layed herself down as she blankly stared into the red and golden ceiling.

Everything was unfair. Just plain unfair.

* * *

Szayzel stood against the door and listened to the constant banging and pleading of the frightened girl. This was wrong but it was what he had been ordered to do by Aizen-sama and all orders were to be obeyed. He was never informed of the reason as to why he was ordered to perform this task, however, he wasn't ignorant. He knew well.

He sighed as he stood still and continued to listen to the constant crying of his name. He had never felt this guilty of something before and it was sure getting on his moral virtue. As soon as the crying and calling had stopped, he sighed as he tried to rub the biting guilt away. With a last sigh, he whispered his apology before he left the cold door behind; the intense silence suspended in the air, leaving nothing but his morality behind.

"I'm sorry, Orihime-san…."

His footsteps echoed as they drifted away, leaving the girl abandoned once and for all.

Orihime had no track of time and she had no idea how many hours it had been since she had been trapped inside of the room. It was painstakingly boring and all of the red and gold sparkly decorations were beginning to give her a slight headache. She had been doing nothing but lying on the bed and rolling around. She had even finished her homework considering the circumstance she was in. The only way she could tell time was by the way her stomach began to growl and grumble.

Orihime whined as she rolled around and dug through the covers, completely tangling herself in them. How many hours had it been. When was she going to be let out? Were they going to trap her here forever? Well atleast she was thankful that hey provided her with a magnificent bed.

Then, from afar, almost a mute clicking of organized footsteps were heard just outside the door. Her orbs grew wide as she quickly stumbled out of the covers and raced towards the locked door. She tripped a couple of times before she had finally made it to the door. Holding her breathe and hoping for the best, she pressed her ear against the door so just at the right moment, she could scream her lungs out in order to escape. She heard her heart pounding against her chest as she gulped her nerves down. However, as much as she tried to concentrate all of her senses to the sound of those footsteps, they were no long there.

Orihime sighed in disappointment and despondency as she trudged back and plopped down on the covers; once again scolding herself for being so dependent on hope. She lay on her side as she began to play with her hair as an effort to try and comfort herself.

Suddenly, the silent door gave an echoing click as its' golden handle began to twist and open. Orihime's head snapped towards the door as she stared in excitement. What she saw enter, or rather who, was a surprise. She honestly had no idea whether to thank him, to yell at him, or just hide under the bed. The man quietly entered and closed the door without any words. Then, without words, he leaned against the closed door and submerged his hands deeply into his pockets.

Jade piercing eyes met large grey orbs.

"Ulquiorra-kun?"

Orihime had no idea what was going on and she was confused. She wanted answers as she stared at the man before her. However, Ulquiorra stood against the door in silence as he ignored her whining; his solemn aura oddly colder than usual.

"…Ano, Ulquiorra-kun?"

Still ignoring her, the man calmly left the door and made his way towards the petite girl. Alarmed by his sudden appearance, she jumped out of the bed and straightened herself out as she stammered.

"….A-ano, what are you doing her? I thought you had a client today?"

Closer and closer he came, cornering her like prey.

"U-uhm, Ulquiorra-kun?..."

He continued to intimidate and harass her personal space as she continued to back her way up, soon hitting the edge of the bed.

"….Ulquiorra-kun?"

Her knees felt weak as his intimidating aura bound her with chains the closer he got, enough to make her beg and cry. He was suffocating her without even laying a hand on her and yet, she was completley vulnerable and at his mercy.

Soon she found herself crawling away from the man on the bed, looking up at the man with fear embedded in her eyes. Her back hit the bed stand without ever once breaking eye contact with the man, afraid that even the slightest mistake would be her last.

She stared as she watched his impassive yet stunning emerald eyes stare straight through her. Then, she watched as Ulquiorra discarded his white necktie and undo the first few buttons of his black shirt, quietly ruffling his jet black hair in the process.

"Ulquiorra-kun, w-what are you doing? Can we please lea-"

"Are you a virgin, woman."

His question was flat, simple, and straightforward.

"...eh?"

* * *

**A/N: The three Arrancar Highschool girls who were staring at Orihime were Naki, Miomi, and Lisa. Naki is the one with red shaggy hair and dark makeup; Miomi is the small fair and petite girl who refers to herself in third person; Lisa is the tallest one with brown hair who Miomi always hides behind. They all are 'under' Loly, kind of like her bitches. **


	12. A Troubled Heart

**Chapter 11: A Troubled Heart**

* * *

"Are you a virgin, woman."

It was a simple, flat, and straightforward question.

"…eh?"

* * *

Ulquiorra watched, stared straight through her soul as he finished unbuttoning the rest of his shirt, throwing it off to the side. He monitored her every move, her every breath, her every heartbeat. He could hear her frail organ thundering against her large chest, the way she shivered under his gaze. Her complicating emotions bundled up into a single expression; fear.

Orihime wasn't sure of what she was hearing or experiencing. She had a vague idea of where the situation was leading to since she had seen movies and heard stories from her other "experienced" female friends, but she couldn't exactly grasp onto reality. At the moment, it was as if everything was a slight blur. She began to ponder on about how just a couple of days ago, everything was normal; a daily routine; nothing out of the ordinary except for a couple of odd encounters with strange old men during the night hours. Everything was supposed to carry on like that. Her encounter with this man, this highly mysterious and threatening host man, was supposed to be one of those daily out-of-the-ordinary encounters. Nothing more than a stranger; a bypasser.

But no, her destiny had to end up becoming a burden. An obstacle.

He slowly pushed her down against the tangled sheets, never once breaking his eye contact. Her orbs were shaking with humiliation, complete horror, petrified under this predatory gaze. She was trapped under his form, caged in between his strong arms. His hand, his pale ivory hand that had been holding her down, made its way up to her collar, and then to her first button; gradually unbuttoning her shirt one by one.

She wanted to scream. Kick him off of the bed and tackle him to the floor. She had to. She needed to. However, she couldn't. It was as if she had been paralyzed. His eyes were her deadlock. They made her mind go blank; made her lose all of her confidence and will to struggle. She was at his mercy and there was nothing she could do about it.

Her shirt was now completely unbuttoned, exposing her simplistic black bra that held her massive breasts together in place. She watched as his eyes left her face and stared her down, returning to its paralyzing position in a matter of seconds. She tried to speak out against his actions, trying to defend herself with hopeful words, wanting to break his demonic curse. However, all that ever escaped from her small rosy lips was a small whimper.

"I had preferred not to take extreme measures for such actions, however-"

His ice cold hand reached for the back of her bra and unclasped it with a single click.

"-it has become a required necessity of my duties ordered by Aizen-sama."

His hair hung over his exquisite pale face as it stared down at Orihime's. Her face flushed a beet red, her eyes distant. The man continued to stare through her, as if trying to locate her sanity and question for his continuance. Her bra still loosely stayed in place as Ulquiorra quietly removed his hand from her body and placed it beside her head. Her orange locks were in a messy daze as they entangled in his grasp.

"Woman….you still have not answered my question."

Panic was all that filled Orihime's mind. Her past life, her regrets, her sad moments, and all of her happy moments were flashing before her eyes as Ulquiorra did nothing but continued to wait for her answer.

"Woman, we do not have much time."

This wasn't supposed to be the way she had imagined her first time to be like. It was supposed to be romantic, and a moment of pure bliss that would sweep her off her feet. She wanted her first kiss like that to be as well. Wait a second. Wasn't there a particular order in line of physical contact? Wasn't it every girl's fantasy to be kissed first and then have their virginity impinged? Yes. That's how it was supposed to be. She had it all imagined, her perfect prince in shining armor was supposed to be her high school sweetheart; Kurosaki Ichigo.

Ulquiorra sighed as he stared down at the shaken girl. He already knew the answer to his own question but he needed for her to clarify it.

"Woman…."

Orihime snapped back into reality from her momentary travel. She saw who was on top of her and she realized that there wasn't possibly a way to evade it. She decided to give herself up. She knew she wouldn't be able to put up a fight and every action she took, every word she said was at the stake of her friends. She would never risk something like that.

"…..yes"

Ulquiorra stared into her.

"Yes, I am a virgin."

"….very well then…"

He decided to end it quickly. The less time he wasted, the easier it would be for the girl. He laid his hand against her chest as he was ready to discard her bra off to the side until her frail hand slowly came up against her chest and held onto his wrist. He could feel her tremendous shaking just from the simple touch.

"Please, wait…"

He stilled himself. The girl was practically begging for her life and he knew she was scared beyond explanation and wanted to do everything in her strength in order to stop this from happening. However, he knew she still fed up with this violation in order to protect her own friends. It was pathetic. She was so weak. She was trash. And now, he was going to break her. Once he started, no matter how much she begged and how terrified she was, he wasn't going to stop.

"Are you scared, woman?"

Silence filled the room. He already knew her answer and that would be his trigger. He would be able to finish his job in a blink of an eye with the pathetic woman. He would feel no guilt as he had done for all those other women he had slept with. She was a nobody to him; simply trash. He waited in silence as her steady breathing filled the room.

"No."

Tear filled yet concrete and stern grey orbs locked with cold emerald eyes.

"No, I am not afraid."

His will had shattered.

* * *

**Couple hours ago**

"Welcome Ulquiorra."

A quick bow of loyalty was given as the entrance of a stoic man entered a darkly shadowed room. The sly grin never left from Aizen's face as he slightly cocked his head to the side and motioned for Ulquiorra to enclose the distance between them.

"I've called you, my dear comrade, for a serious matter at hand."

Ulquiorra slightly nodded and slowly made his way toward the overpowering man, each footstep echoing against the walls in an orderly fashion. Aizen made quick eye contact with the other guards that had been standing near the door as he insinuated their departure. Realizing Aizen's indication, the two body guards gave quick bows as they quietly left the room, closing the doors behind them.

"I appreciate your spare time, Ulquiorra."

"It is an honor, Aizen-sama."

"I believe you already have an idea of what I shall ask of you."

"..."

Ulquiorra's face slightly changed, just barely; a hint of request for clarfication.

A quiet, almost inaudible chuckle rumbled out from the daunting man as his wry smile stayed in place. His auburn eyes closed as a gleam of moonlight lit the features of the smiling man. Silence drained the room as Aizen was motionless. Then, just as Ulquiorra was about to question Aizen's sudden request for his presence, Aizen's auburn eyes sternly grazed upon Ulquiorra's waxen face; a stare full of his own pleasure, a pleasure full of malice.

"That girl, Ulquiorra,"

His emerald eyes were as stern and cold as stones, never once, blinking away.

"I believe I have been informed of her as being a virgin."

"Yes."

"Well now, we can't have that, can we?"

A malicious smile from the eyes and a simple gesture; Ulquiorra had already understood.

Aizen smiled.

"However, if you wish to decline this personal offer, since it is a fully optional assignment, I could always assign it to another individual…"

From behind the shadows of the wall, a black figure almost six feet tall emerged. The clanking of metal chains stirring in the air, dark black hair hanging over his face in dreads as an aura of sinister menace decorated his atmosphere. His face was long with a black eye patch strung over his right eye. He snarled in mused disgust, looking down at the pale man.

"What's up scum?"

Ulquiorra's face darkened as the room grew colder.

"Noitora."

The man cocked his head, gleaming his canine teeth against the moonlight. His presence was deadly and dark, a kind of presence that would bring in the glooms and herds of dark rainy clouds. Finally, Aizen spoke, eventually tearing through the stillness.

"If you, my dearest Ulquiorra, do not decide to do such a simple task, I believe I am apt to no other option."

He could hear the sarcasm tingeing his voice. There was no such thing as "no other option" within Aizen's range of expertise. There was no such thing as an option in the first place. The man knew how to play his cards; he knew how to manipulate yet stay in his own little bubble. Ulquiorra knew better. Aizen wasn't providing him with an option at all; it was a threat, a threat against his own morals.

A couples seconds of stern silence until Ulquiorra faced the dictator of Las Noches and gave his final bow.

"Hai, I understand Aizen-sama. I shall undertake this particular assignment."

Just as quickly as he had entered, Ulquiorra turned on his heel and swiftly left the room. The quiet clicking of his heels reverberating through the endless halls. The two men stayed behind in the shawdows, as they leered at the back of a departing individual, sneering at the thought of what was to come.

* * *

The girl beneath him was trembling. She was shuddering against his cold skin, yet she was not afraid? Did she honestly believe that he was stupid enough to believe her deceit? Or, was it rather a self statement so she herself, this foolish girl, could convince her own being and suffer the dark consequences in order to sacrifice for her beloved friends? She was foolish, almost inane. But that was not the least that concerned, or rather angered Ulquiorra. The fact that angered him the most was the fact that this girl had not reacted as he had planned. That this girl was enough to make him reconsider his duties. That this inane, ridiculous, childish, mindless and idiotic girl was enough to have him reconsider and even _care_ for what the girl wanted. It was ridiculous.

After moments of staring deeply into the tightly shut lids of the shaking girl, Ulquiorra sighed as he climbed off of her trembling form.

"Get dressed woman."

Orihime shot back up as she timidly covered herself with the covers and threw a questioning look at Ulquiorra.

"Eh?"

"Woman, if you wish for me to take your innocence, you shall ask me again."

Orihime flinched as she bit her lower lip, reminding herself that his man did not play games. She watched quietly as Ulquiorra finished fixing his black tie into place and pulling his black jacket over his broad form. Even though she was quite relieved that nothing was bound to happen tonight, she was disheartened and awfully confused. What was this man doing? She was smart enough to figure out the fact that Szayzel had trapped her in this room under Ulquiorra's orders, and his intentions were obvious, but why had he stopped? Or more precisely, what had made him stop?

Ulquiorra had finally finished dressing as he quietly took his phone out. He silently clicked it open and checked the time, his green eyes staring blankly at the screen. Then, in a matter of seconds, they were firmly fixed on the girl.

"Woman, have I not already ordered for you to get dressed?"

Orihime was alarmed as she had momentarily dazed off in her own thoughts.

"Ah! Hai! Sorry."

Just as she was about to fling the covers off of her frame and grab for her clothes that were on the floor, she had just realized that she was topless. Her actions were abruptly stopped as realization hit her against the head, her face burning into a crimson red. She held the sheets tightly against her chest as she rigidly starred at her clothes, as if they were calling for her name.

Ulquiorra stared. He knew exactly what she was thinking, especially since it was written all over her face. He followed her gaze and glanced over at her clothes. Then, the pale man took a step towards the girl. Closer and closer he got as he studied the rising panic in her face. Her knuckles turning white as she tightly grasped the sheets onto her chest, afraid he would lunge and rip them off of her. It bothered her how her heart continued to beat so loudly against her chest and how her face continued to burn the closer the man got. What was he thinking?

Just when she was about to summersault over the bed and run out the door, using the sheets as cover, Ulquiorra bent down, picked up her clothes, and threw them toward her.

"Woman, we have no leisure to waste time."

Ulquiorra then turned away as he checked his time and stood there facing the wall. Realizing that he was offering her privacy, she quickly grabbed her school clothes and stumbled as she assembled herself back together. What was she thinking? Was she expecting something from him? What was wrong with her?

"Woman, I need you to listen clearly and precisely. I am reasonably conclusive that you understand what was intended to occur tonight."

Fully dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed, Orihime slowly nodded her head.

"I need for you not to speak about this incident with anyone else, shall they inquire or not."

"Hai, I understand."

"And lastly, I presume you understand that I was lenient enough to disobey my orders from Aizen-saama."

There was a silent pause as everything came together in her head. It was an order made by Aizen, that daunting man that had generously greeted her. Orihime quietly looked down at the ground. She was offended and upset. She was just about to lose her virginity for the sake of orders and to a stranger as well. But overall, her whole situation itself was quite the frustration.

She let out a minute 'huff' as she gave a quiet nod.

"However, I see no benefit that could be earned from your current state, or rather knowledge of sexual activity."

She starred further into the ground, hoping to drill holes and escape through a tunnel.

Ulquiorra turned around and faced the woman.

"Do you know how to arouse a man?"

Her face was about to explode. She could feel the heat radiating from her own cheeks as she silently shook her head, hoping to drill faster into the carpeted ground.

"Have you ever had sexual activity with anyone in your past life?"

She shook her head.

Ulquiorra sighed. He knew about where she stood with experience, and it was a simple zero; nada. She probably wasn't even distinctively aware of what a manhood looked like, and that would definitely be something counterproductive in his business. He was going to have to go back to Aizen-sama and request for a different possibility, or rather for more time.

Finally conclusive in his own thoughts, he entered a number into his phone as he quietly mumbled. The doors were soon opened, and there stood Szayzel, quietly addressing the way. Orihime glanced at the man as their eyes met for a brief moment as his apology was apparent on his face. Orihime quietly accepted as she followed the stoic man out the doors and down the corridors, once again.


	13. Dawn of Disbelief

**Chapter 12: Dawn of Disbelief**

* * *

Orihime nonchalantly followed the stoic man as her footsteps pitter pattered against the walls. She was wondering to herself as she could still remember the cold air that radiated from Ulquiorra during their brief physical contact. It send shivers down her spine as she remembered those cold lifeless emerald eyes staring straight through hers. It daunted her yet almost ironically enchanted her. This was the first time anyone, let alone a man as daunting as Ulquiorra, that had been intimately close to her. She honestly had felt spell cast at the moment where his sharp clean exotic scent still lingered on the tip of her nose.

"Ow."

Orihime stumbled back a few steps when she had bumped into the cold and hard back in front of her and quietly looked up. She had been to lost in her own thoughts to notice that Ulquiorra had stopped in his tracks with his back turned to the woman, looking at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Is that a habit of yours?"

Orihime blushed.

"Szayzel will now guide you back to your quarters."

And without another word Ulquiorra continued to walk down the red velvet corridors as his organized footsteps drew further and further away from Orihime.

* * *

_Knock Knock _

"Come in."

The giant white doors creaked loudly against the thick silence as Ulquiorra entered into Aizens' office.

"Good evening, Ulquiorra."

Aizen gently set down his pen and looked up from his paperwork, folding his two hands in front of his face as he smiled at the bowing figure of his best host man, Ulquiorra.

"Aizen-sama. I am here in order to report to you about the current progress of Orihime's status."

"I'm glad to hear that. So, it was a success?"

"I apologize for the inconvenience however."

Aizen frowned. Ulquiorra only stared in return. He then quietly rose from his desk as he turned his back from the stoic man and faced the moon, a cold aura radiating from his figure.

"It is a beautiful moon tonight, is it not, Ulquiorra-kun."

"Hai."

Then, an almost inaudible sigh escaped from the man's lips. Ulquiorra stood in place as he stared into Aizen's broad back.

"Ulquiorra, I am concerned."

Ulquiorra stood without a flicker of emotion showing as Aizen continued to speak.

"I believe you were one of my best men, and let alone rather than any other of your fellow comrades such as Grimmjow, you have disobeyed my orders."

Ulquiorra stood as he continued to stare at Aizen's illumed form against the moonlight tinted window.

"I am disappointed in you Ulquiorra. What measures do you believe I am to take next?"

Ulquiorra did not answer. Aizen wasn't asking him a question but rather offering a threat on a clean plate. Ulquiorra knew damn well that Aizen always had plans and Ulquiorra also knew what Aizen's 'next measures' would be.

Noitora.

Silence hung in the air as the gentle muffled cooing of the birds echoed throughout the empty nights. Ulquiorra then silently closed his eyes as he let out a mute sigh.

"I understand of your disappointment, however, I have done what I had believed were the best measures to take Aizen-sama. Under the girl's current knowledge and experience regarding sexual intimacy I preface no profit."

Aizen listened.

"I believe there would be a much better outcome in profit as well as less of a nuisance if she were to be trained and educated."

"Trained?"

"Hai."

"And who would be in charge of this 'training' you suggest?"

"…."

Aizen then quietly returned back to his desk as his mocking smile had returned. His azure eyes gleamed with excitement as they bore straight into Ulquiorra's impassive frown. giving him the answer.

"Ulquiorra, I believe you are aware of the hindrance you have caused by disobeying my orders, therefore, I believe it will be a full part of your responsibility in order to train the girl. I presume to put her under your full twenty four hour care."

Aizen's eyes twinkled with delight. Ulquiorra knew that Aizen-sama would put this girl under his charge since he knew how much Ulquiorra hated to waste time with 'incompetent trash,' especially around women.

"I shall provide with a month's worth of time with this girl."

"Understood, Aizen-sama."

"Very well then, you may be dismissed."

"Hai."

"Ulquiorra, I expect results."

With that said, Ulquiorra gave a quick bow as he gracefully turned on his heel and left the lightly dimmed office of Aizen. Aizen sat in silence at his desk as he admired Ulquiorra's exit.

"Gin, I don't think this eavesdropping habit of yours' is quite becoming anymore."

A small chuckle was heard as a thin silver haired man emerged from behind the red curtains.

"Oh, my my my. So ya knew?"

Aizen just continued to smile with his eyes as he looked over at Gin.

"Ya know Aizen, that girl is quite 'he beauty."

"That's why I have assigned Ulquiorra."

"Ulquiorra is still a man ya' know."

Aizen smiled as he folded his hands in front of his face and smiled. Gin leaned against Aizen's table and chuckled as he saw the slightest sparkle in Aizen's eyes.

"Oh my, you are quite cruel."

* * *

"Oh my goodness Szayel-san! You're extrodinary!"

With the last bite of some of Szayel's delicious homemade pancakes with a touch of Orihime's favorite bean paste, she swore she was in heaven.

"You're an amazing cook!"

Szayel smiled as he adjusted his glasses and smiled at Orihime.

"Meh, I guess I could say I used to study and experiment with many different recipes."

Orihime giggled as she sat at the silver table of the kitchen. The place was huge and looked like it belonged to the back of a five star restaurant. She sighed in content from her delicious meal and let her orbs roam around, observing the contents of the kitchen.

"Ne, why do you guys have so much fruit here?"

Szayel chuckled lightly as he reminded the lost girl.

"This is a host bar, I hope you haven't forgotten. Of course we serve everything needed with liquor."

Orihime made a small 'o' as she glanced over at the shelve full of alcoholic beverages, those cold emerald eyes coming back to her.

"Ne, Szayel-san."

"Hmmm?"

Szayel hummed as he began to organize the dishes into the shelves and finished wiping the countries.

"Why have you decided to work here?"

"Well,"

He set the white rag down and finished brewing the tea as he served Orihime a warm cup of Jasmine. He then took a seat in front of the curious girl glancing up at him with exquisite grey orbs. He picked up his tea as he subtly blew at the rising steam and took in a sip.

"I honestly am not sure how to answer something as ominous as that, Orihime-san."

Orihime looked up at the pink haired man and waved her hands in front of her as she exclaimed.

"Please, just address me as Orihime."

Szayel simply smiled at the woman from behind his cup of tea before continuing.

"I believe everyone of us have our own stories as to how we've all ended up working for Aizen-sama, yet, no one knows of Ulquiorra's."

Orihime was looking down at her tea as she stared at the steam quickly rising and dancing and then disappearing into thin air.

"I've heard rumors about him since I've probably served Aizen-sama for the longest time, however, no one knows for sure."

"Where is his family?"

Szayel glanced at the girl staring into her tea cup as she would momentarily blow at the rising ghost like figures.

"I believe he does not have one."

Orihime gave Szayel a questioning look.

"Most of us that work here have dark and quite unwelcoming pasts Orihime-san and I recommend that you do not get involved or attached to any of us, including me. We are not people that are supposed to build emotional attachments with the customers or people in general. It's a dangerous risk to take."

"But what about everyone that works here? Don't you guys consider each other as friends, or maybe a family?"

Szayel chuckled as he got up and took Orihime's half finished cup and put them into the sink.

"Orihime-san, you are a very curious girl."

Orihime flashed him a quick questioning look before Szayel gestured Orihime to get up and leave to return to her quarters. Another host man appeared as he escorted Orihime out into the red halls.

"Goodnight Orihime-san."

Orihime looked at the smiling man as he leaned against the kitchen doors with his arms folded in front of him.

"...hai, goodnight Szayel-san."

As he watched the girl bow and turn away, walking down the red corridors with the host man escorting her, Szayzel closed the kitchen door and decided to pour himself another cup of tea. He then sat at the silver table, quietly sipping on his cup as the ticking sound from the clock filled the air. He stared into his tea cup as he could see the leaves dancing around with every twirl he gave.

"….family, ne?"

A small smile dawned on his thin lips as Szayzel continued to wordlessly enjoy his Jasmine tea in the quiet kitchen.

Things were getting interesting.

* * *

Orihime thanked the host man as she reached her room. The host man gave her a quick bow before leaving her be. With a click of the door, she quietly sat down on the big black leather couch in the middle of her room. She glanced up at the nearest clock and sighed when she saw the time.

4:30 a.m.

She had school tomorrow and her fatigue was too much for her to handle. She didn't know where Ulquiorra had went and she began wondering where he always went off to. I mean he always seemed to be so busy with a full packed schedule, always needing to take care of some business. Her mind began drifting off as she sprawled herself out on the couch, twirling her bright orange hair in between her frail fingers. Today, a hell of a lot of things had happened and honestly it was more than Orihime could handle. First of all, she was kidnapped by Grimmjow from school and forced to come to the Host Bar, Hueco Mundo, where she was almost raped by Ulquiorra. Then it pained her. All of the stress and tension that she had experienced that day hit her like a ten ton truck.

Her silent weeping filled the room as she quietly held onto her knees and lulled herself into desperate sleep.

* * *

Ulquiorra knocked on the door.

There was no answer. He looked at his wrist watch and it read 6:40 a.m. He knew that the girl had school today and was pretty sure she was sleeping behind the closed door. He wasn't really one to barge into a girl's room but he needed her to stay on schedule in order to avoid any side trouble.

He quietly entered the room as he quietly shut the door behind him.

He saw the girl sprawled out on the black leather couch fast asleep. He glanced over at the untouched bed and wondered why this girl always chose to fall asleep on the couch rather than on the bed when Aizen-sama insisted on providing her with new sheets as well.

He walked over to her sleeping figure after flicking on the lights.

"Woman."

He called out to her hoping she was a light sleeper and she would stir out of her slumber.

Nothing.

A slight flicker of annoyance dawned on Ulquiorra's features as he wasn't here to babysit the girl. In a much more stern voice, he called out to her.

"Woman, get up."

He stood right beside her sleeping form as he intently stared at her stirring figure. The girl whined as she rose herself from the couch and tried to rub the sleep from her eyes. The girl than looked at Ulquiorra's expressionless face and brightly exclaimed,

"Good morning Ulquiorra-kun!"

Ulquiorra stared at the girl's bright smiling face as she tried to keep her smile in place. He could tell that the girl had cried herself to sleep as her eyes were swollen and puffy, however he was only the last person on planet Earth to show any form of sympathy.

"Get dressed woman, it has become my duty to keep you under my watch at all times, therefore I regard it that I am also charge of taking you to school."

"Ah, hai."

"I shall provide you with twenty minutes to get fully ready."

Then as quickly as Ulquiorra had entered her room, he left.

* * *

Orihime yawned.

She was dead tired and she continued to drift in and out of sleep her whole ride to school in Ulquiorra's car. Honestly, if she was fully alert and in her right mind, she would have been very uncomfortable being in the car with the man; however, in her current condition, the soft buzzing of the engine sounded like a lullaby rocking her into sleep.

Ulquiorra kept his cold emerald eyes on the road other than those momentary moments when Orihime would knock her head against the window, bobbing her head on her shoulders, trying desperately to keep awake. Any other normal person would have found the girl quite humorous, however, all Ulquiorra did was momentarily look at her from the corner of his eye.

* * *

They were approaching the school gate and he realized they were nearly 20 minutes early before the first bell for her class. He then parked his car across from the school gate and glanced over at the sleeping girl.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

It was beginning to become a nuisance how he would always have to awaken the girl because of her lack of sleep. He decided that he should take measures in order to make sure the girl would get enough sleep. If this continued on, he knew she would probably pass out in the middle of the street one day, which would become much more of a bigger annoyance.

He glanced over at the girl one last time before rolling down his window and lighting up a cigarette. Since she was his last shift for the day, he decided to let her have those couple of minutes of sleep before waking her up to the first bell.

* * *

"I wonder where Orihime is."

Ichigo was on his way to school with Rukia, Ishida, and Chad. Since Ichigo and Orihime lived in the same area, he always expected to see her in the morning, pairing up with Rukia, Ishida, and Chad later on. However, for the last couple of weeks, she was missing and always arriving late for class; not to mention how she always dozed off as well.

"I'm not sure either; however, I do believe she seems to be a little busy and quite out of place. I am concerned for her wellbeing as well."

Rukia claimed as she clicked open her cell phone and checked for the time.

"I wonder if she is in some trouble."

Ishida looked over at Ichigo as they were waiting for the green light before crossing the street to the school's main school gate. He could tell how frustrated Ichigo was especially since there really was no way in order to contact Orihime unless they were to go all the way over to her house.

As the light had finally turned green, other crowds of students began to cross the road along with Ichigo and his friends. The orange haired young boy sighed as he stared at the black and white concrete of the crosswalk. He was extremely worried about Orihime since she had been very out of place these couple of days and no matter how many times he would ask about her wellbeing she would just give him that innocent smile of hers and claim how she was doing fine.

Ichigo slung his schoolbag over his shoulder as he looked up at the clear blue sky and the lazy clouds gliding over them. Nearing the school gate, they parted ways and because Ichigo's first class was gym, he had to go around toward the back of the school where the basketball court was. Walking without paying much attention to his surroundings, Ichigo kicked at a couple of rocks as he dragged his feet against the gravel, noticing a black car parked to the side along the way.

It was an unusual sight to see a car parked across from the school since it wasn't usually allowed.

Without giving it much thought Ichigo passed by and continued to walk without looking back until he heard the slamming of a car door. Curiosity momentarily striking him he glanced back at the black car and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Thank you for the ride Ulquiorra-kun!"

"Do not forget your usual shift, woman."

"Hai."

"Since today is a Friday I hope you understand that tonight I will be extremely busy and our host bar will be overflowing with customers. Therefore, I need you to be less of nuisance and follow my orders without question."

"Hai, I understand."

"Very well."

With her bowing and her appreciation of gratitude, Ulquiorra rolled up the window before speeding off and away from the school, heading home.

Orihime sighed deeply and looked at the ground before clearing her throat and quickly wearing her innocent smile again, ready to take on another exhausting day.

She readjusted her bag onto her shoulder and looked up at the sky as she closed her eyes and silently prayed for a better day. She could feel the gentle cold breeze of a calm sunny fall morning gliding through her orange golden hair. Then, sucking in a huge amount of air and holding it in, she snapped into her study mode as she looked across the road and saw another boy with bright orange hair staring straight at her.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

She was about to wave toward his way and shriek a healthy good morning until she realized the blank and contorted look on his face. She was lost for a second until then, it dawned on her.

He must have seen.

Of course he did.

Crap.


	14. The Games Begin

**Chapter 13: The Games Begin**

* * *

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo just stood in his spot blankly, across the road, with an unreadable expression plastered over his face. Orihime just stared for who knows how long until the ringing of the first bell snapped back at her attention. Then as if on cue, Ichigo just turned away as he continued to walk off and around the back of the basketball court.

Orihime didn't know whether to be thankful or to be even more concerned that Ichigo did not react like she had expected. Of course after seeing her being dropped off by an unfamiliar vehicle, she was expecting him to run toward her while yelling at the owner of the car and demanding an explanation. I mean, she knew he trusted her but she didn't know whether she should be more glad or worried of his calm reaction.

She'd have to talk to Tatsuki-chan as soon as possible.

* * *

Ichigo didn't know what he was thinking.

If anything out of instinct he would've ran over there and, well he wasn't quite too sure either. At the moment he had more than a million questions running through his head that needed to be answered, driving him to the edge. However, he didn't want to be rash and jump to conclusions incase Orihime had a good explanation. He trusted her more than anything so he'd wait to talk to her in private.

* * *

Orihime stared out the window as she watched the dead leaves dancing in the gentle autumn wind, barely hanging on for their lives.

Orihime knew what was to come and she knew she would be confronted by Ichigo, yet she couldn't lie to him. And if Ichigo continued to confront her, she couldn't and wouldn't tell him the truth either since that would put his, and everyone else's lives on the line. Aizen had already warned her about keeping Ulquiorra and her relationship a secret otherwise he'd threaten all of her friends. So, what was she to do? Tatsuki knew that Orihime was working at a bar but knew nothing of Ulquiorra or Aizen or the host club. So, even if she wanted to, how could she ask Tatsuki-chan for help?

Orihime sighed as her mind met chaos. As her continuous struggle for a possible solution battled on, the clock hanging in the front of the class continued to tick away without mercy.

* * *

_Click_

Ulquiorra closed the door silently as he kicked his shoes off and set his car keys down on his wooden table in his living room. He was hungry but he didn't quite feel like cooking either. He clicked his cellphone open and checked his time which read 8:40 a.m. His cold emerald eyes scanned through his dark living room where the sunlight slightly penetrated through the blinds.

He decided he'd sleep and take his much well needed rest before his night shift because he knew he would be busier than ever. It was a Friday which meant a doubled amount of customers that he'd have to meet and satisfy.

Without changing out of his clothes, he loosened his black tie and set it down on the chair as he made his way toward his king sized white bed. Slowly unbuttoning his white collar shirt, he revealed his pale toned body and the green number four tattooed on his left chest. Sighing at the sudden comfort that embraced his body as he lay his body down against the mattress, exhaustion slowly over took his body, sending him off to a deep slumber.

* * *

Students were loudly bustling around the classroom as the last bell dismissed the students. It was a Friday and they had school again tomorrow but she knew it was only till noon, so whatever students were planning to do, they'd all start planning tonight. Obviously, this also meant that her friends would begin planning for the weekend as well including her into the picture. However, the strange thing was that Ichigo never did come to confront her during lunch or inbetween breaks. It made her uneasy by the mintue as much as it relieved her.

Maybe he'd just drop it without ever asking her.

"Orihime!"

In the midst of packing her books, she swiftly turned around only to be face to face with her best friend, Tatsuki-chan.

"Good afternoon Tatsuki-chan!"

"Where were you during lunch time?"

"Ah, you see, I was in the library doing some makeup work!"

"Oh, I see."

Orihime nodded as she looked at her purple hot headed best friend and smiled.

"Well, wanna grab something to drink on the way home?"

"Ah, sure!"

Tatsuki smiled as she gave her a small alright and waited outside her classroom for Orihime to finish packing her books and bags. Orihime stepped out of the classroom as the two of them gradually began to walk down the hall, brightly discussing their week so far and what they could grab on their way home. Then, from afar in the distance, she spotted an orange headed boy walking quickly toward them tagging along beside him the all too familiar faces of Rukia, Ishida, Chad, and Chad.

Orihime's heart dropped.

She knew what was to come, but in front of all her friends? That would be too cruel.

Her heart started pounding and her palms started sweating as Tatsuki called out to Ichigo and deliberately began waving her hand in the air. Ichigo smiled warmly and waved back at the two of them, as in seconds, face to face talking.

Orihime stayed silent. She didn't want to bring anything up just in case Ichigo had forgotten, but she knew he wasn't dumb. He may be a little thick headed, however, she knew now or later he'd ask her about what he had seen earlier in the morning.

"Yo, Orihime."

Ichigo smiled as he raised his hand in the air and gave her a quick greeting. Orihime simply smiled back at his warm greeting.

"Good afternoon, Kurosaku-kun!"

As Rukia, Ishida, Chad, and Tatsuki were talking about the weekend and who was going to go where and meet up with who, Orihime eyed Ichigo who was unusually silent. Then, out of the blue and much to Orihime's discomfort, Ichigo finally spoke out.

"Orihime, can we talk, alone?"

The whole group that had been momentarily chattering stopped as they all eyed Ichigo and then at Orihime. Orihime could feel her face turning red as the turmoil inside her flipped over, sending her thoughts into chaos. She didn't know what to tell him anymore. She was thankful that he suggested talking to her in private; however, she knew she couldn't tell him the truth. But then again, what would she tell him? All she could do was stare at the ground as her face flushed red.

Tatsuki eyed her best friend as all the girl continued to do was stare into the ground with beet red cheeks. Tatsuki than glanced back at Ichigo whose expression seemed to be a bit contorted. Then, it clicked.

"Ichigo, Orihime can't have a boyfriend right now."

Everyone held bewildered expressions, including Orihime.

"Whaaaat!"

Ichigo blushed crimson.

"What the fuck are you talking about! Mind your own god damn business."

"I would love to mind my own business but Orihime doesn't seem to want to talk to you in private and I think she needs to talk it through with me first, before she answers you."

Giving Ichigo a giant smirk, Tatsuki grabbed onto Orihime's wrist and dragged her away from the crowd.

"See you guys later! And sorry Ichigo, but your question will have to wait."

Dumbstruck, Ichigo stood there amidst their friends as he just stared at Tatsuki waving them a goodbye, forcefully dragging her friend away from the crowd and down the hall. Chad stood there speechless as his face blushed a slight tint of pink while Rukia crossed her arms and deliberately shook her head. Ishida fixed his glasses as he stared at Ichigo and called him a dumbass whereas Ichigo continued to deny the assumption. All the while Renji just continued to poke him in the ribs, taunting his rejection and having fun.

After all the taunting and wooing and embarrassing commets were done and through, Ichigo grumbled as he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked away from the crowd in silence.

"Jeez, what the hell..."

* * *

Orihime was continuously dragged around and out of the school building, Tatsuki finally turning around and facing her friend. Then, folding her arms in front of her, she looked Orihime straight in the eyes and exclaimed with a frown.

"Okay now, spit it out."

"Eh?"

"Orihime, I'm not dumb. Tell me what the problem is."

Orihime sighed.

"Well…Kurosaki-kun saw me."

"What do you mean he saw you?"

"This morning, one of my uhm, coworkers dropped me off at school in his car and I believe Kurosaki-kun saw me."

"So you mean, Ichigo saw you getting dropped off at school by an unknown vehicle?"

"Yes..."

Tatsuki sighed. She didn't know how Orihime was going to get herself out of this one but she knew she was going to have to help her out and in all honesty, she was glad she had caused a scene before Ichigo did get a chance to talk to her in private. She knew well that Orihime couldn't lie to her unrequited love and even if she did manage to, his suspiscion would rise higher.

"Don't worry hime-chan. I've got this under control."

"Eh? What will you tell him Tatsuki-chan?"

"I'll just tell him exactly what you've told me but don't worry. I'll let him know that this 'friend' of yours is a well-known friend of mine as well."

"I'm not sure if that would be a smart thing to say Tatsuki-chan."

"Well, what else could I tell him? He clearly wants to know who that was and I know you don't want any of our other friends to know that you clean dishes and work part time at a bar just to save up money for your college tuition. Plus, I also know you wouldn't be able to lie especially to him."

Orihime bore her eyes into the ground. She knew Tatsuki-chan was right and by all means, she was extremely thankful for her friends sacrifice.

"Thank you so much, Tatsuki-chan."

Tatsuki lightly smiled at her troubled friend. She honestly still didn't understand why of all places Orihime chose to work at a bar in order to collect her money despite how smart her friend was. She was sure Orihime could receive a full time scholarship to any college she wanted to attend, however, she trusted Orihime more than anything. So whatever decisions she made, Tatsuki did not argue with her.

"Anyways, come on. Let's grab something to eat. I'm starving!"

"Hai!"

Even though Orihime still felt uneasy at heart about what Tatsuki decided to do for her, she also knew at the current time, it was for the best. And with Orihime's final mental conclusion, she brightly smiled at her friend as they walked down the street, gleefully arguing over whether to stop by Mcdonalds or Taco Bell.

* * *

"_Are you an orphan, boy?"_

_A tall broad man kneeled down against the cold icy concrete street as his warm chocolate eyes looked into cold emerald ones; belonging to the pale ivory face of a young boy with hair as pitch black as the night._

_The boy looked confused as he continued to sniff, rubbing away the tears with his tattered sleeve._

"_Here, come with me. I will help you."_

_The man held out his warm hand and watched the boy as he slightly flinched, as if he was waiting for a blow to the head. The man only smiled down. Then, as the young boy slowly opened his eyes again and looked up at the reassuring expression of the man, he slowly reached out. _

"_Tell me boy, what is your name?"_

_Hesitation was evident in the boy's face as he barely whispered with caution._

"_...Ulquiorra."_

_The man pulled the boy to his feet as he smiled and took his overly large coat off and hung it around the boy's shoulders. Then, the man kneeled back down and took the young boys chin and lifted his face up toward his. _

"_You are quite the beauty, Ulquiorra."_

_The young boy lowered his eyes down toward the snowy ground._

"_Come with me and I shall provide you with a home, food, money, and everything else you inquire."_

_The boy looked into the russet eyes of the taunting man._

"…_however, you have to promise me only one thing in return for everything else."_

_The boy only looked back up._

"_You shall belong to me."_

_The young boy stared into the soft smile of the russet man with innocent eyes. The man knew the young boy did not know the meaning of this offer, however, the thought of a warmer home and the promise of safety was all it took. With a slow deliberate nod the young boy quickly wiped his final tears away and stood as he took the man's warm hand._

**And ever since that snowy deserted night, that young boy was never to be seen again.**

* * *

_Riiiiing_

Ulquiorra slowly opened his emerald eyes from his somber sleep at the sound of his phone vibrating against his head. He slowly clicked it open and realized that the caller was Grimmjow. With a quite sigh, he answered the vibrating machine.

"Yo cunt face. Where ya at? Aizen wants you here an hour earlier, so hurry up."

Giving Grimmjow only a small grunt, he hung up the phone and looked at the time. It was only six o'clock in the evening and he was called up three hours earlier than his usual shift. He began to wonder what it was this time that Aizen-sama would request of him but he knew it wouldn't be something to look forward to.

With that, he quietly rose from his bed as he walked into the showers and began getting ready for another long and extremely exhausting night.

"See you later Inoue! Make sure to call me after your shift so I won't be worried alright?"

Orihime gave Tatsuki-chan a confident answer as they were now parting ways at the end of the street. Tatsuki waved as she ran toward the bus station when she had spotted her bus. After sharing their goodbyes Orihime sighed, walking down the busy sidewalk and gazing up at the evening sky. It illuminated an orange tint as the sun set as the clouds lazily grazed over. It always made her feel at ease whenever she stared up at the afternoon sky, reminding her her brother, Sora.

Quietly smiling and feeling a little at peace, she happily crossed the street and disappeared into the busy crowd.

* * *

"So, when do you want to start your little plan?"

Under the bright orange sky of Shinjuku city, in a dark alleyway, two girls stood leaning against the wall as they leered at a bright orange haired girl.

"Hmmm….call Noitora-senpai."

"You sure?"

"Just do as I say Menoly."

"...Okay"

As the yellow haired Arrancar high school girl obediently took out her cellphone and dialed a number, the other Arrancar girl cocked her head to the side as a cruel malevolent smile smeared over her visage. Then, almost as if spitting in disgust, she slowly lowered her face as she glared out into the crowd.

"I'd like to play a little game."


	15. Drunk

**Chapter 14: Drunk**

* * *

Ulquiorra stared.

What in the world was this girl doing? He had stopped by her place after having his little 'talk' with Aizen-sama and supposedly growing impatient with time, he wanted Ulquiorra to get his 'training' into action. He only had a month's worth of time and well tonight, he only had about an hour. Therefore, he had decided to drop by her house before going to the bar and get her started on with chapter one.

It was a Sunday, and having had to attend to nearly 12 customers the night before, Ulquiorra did not want to waste any more time. So, he barged into her house with his daunting aura and wordlessly approached the alerted girl, cornering her into the bedroom. Everything was going well until this stupid girl took the hint and jumped into the bed, took the blanket, and rolled herself over multiple times, wiggling around without an inch of skin showing, looking like a caterpillar.

If Ulquiorra had a sense of humor, he'd probably be holding onto his sides while laughing out loud, however he didn't. He simply sighed and he closed his eyes in distress.

"Woman."

No answer.

Irritation flickered across Ulquiorra's pale yet exquisite features.

"Woman, you are currently being ridiculous. I presume that you believe that your actions will stop me from continuing mine; however I do expect you to be smarter than to believe such a judgment."

He only got a muffled whimper in response.

He had enough of her immature foolishness.

Ulquiorra took his hands out from his pockets and ripped the covers off of the girl, sending her almost flying to the edge of the bed. Orihime gasped at the sudden intrusion before she quickly regained her balance and realized what was to come next. In less than a blink of an eye, he had her trapped in between his arms as her form was immobile against his on top of hers.

Her grey orbs grew wide full of conflict as his face was only inches away from hers, his cold emerald eyes gazing straight into her shaking grey ones. He could hear her quick breathing as her heart began to beat in her ears. Strangely, she could not sense a heartbeat from the stoic man as he held no expression and simply stared into her eyes. His body radiated that same cold aura that she could remember from their first contact a few months ago, tangling their fates to the current moment. Both her hands were trapped next to her head as he held them in place, her bright orange locks entangled in the grasp. He then slowly let one hand go as he wordlessly began to unbutton the top of her school uniform, one by one.

She panicked.

Ulquiorra quietly studied her face as his hands stopped midway her shirt, only leaving a couple unbuttoned. Then without further notice, he slowly lowered his head as he held the girls chin and turned her head to the side, revealing the flesh from her collar bone to the side of her neck. He could feel the girl wriggling below him and the momentary struggles, but it was futile.

She could feel his ironically cold breath wash over her neck as she tightly shut her eyes and clasped onto his hand. Her mind was in deep chaos as her heartbeat continued to beat off the charts.

She was trembling.

She could feel his how his pitch black hair brushed against her ear and chin as he lowered himself to the pulsing vein. His hand continued to hold hers down as his free one stayed beside her head. Then, she felt it. He planted a very light kiss. Then, another one. Then, there was another one, until a little later, she could feel him sucking a little harder as his tongue every so lightly tasted her flesh.

She gasped.

This was it. This was the end for her. She was done for.

Her mind screamed in panic as a miniature figure of her continued to run around in circles over her head screaming "fire, fire, fire" without reason, [even though it wasn't a fire] as her trembling continued beneath the coldblooded callous man. She was almost certain that she would soon burst out into tears, wailing at the man before her while beating him with her pillow, but nope; only in her dreams would that be possible. Then, the second she was almost certain this man would shred off all of her clothes and sadistically laugh at her pitiful image, tying her up with black ropes and gagging her, he stopped.

"Woman."

She blinked.

Ulquiorra was now off of her and sitting on the edge of the bed fixing his sleeves while dialing a number into his black mobile.

"Get dressed, we must leave now."

"...ah...eh...h-hai."

Still in comic shock, she flung herself off of the bed and dashed into the bathroom, panting heavily. She slammed the door behind her and locked it. Her eyes were wide with disbelief as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She stumbled as she tried to button up her school uniform as her awful trembling made the task a lot harder than it was supposed to be. As her trembling did not end, she took a huge deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. Then, much to her dismay, there was a shower of dark purple marks resting on the side of her neck.

Oh great, how fantastic.

* * *

The whole car ride to Hueco Mundo was silent.

Orihime fiddled with her fingers as she was now in a highly uncomfortable state. Occasionally, when they'd hit a red light, she'd glance at him from time to time in an awkward manner and reassure herself when he'd only be paying attention to the road. However, as sharp as he was, Ulquiorra knew what she was doing and it was irritating him. What was wrong with her? If her actions were an outcome of what he had had just done, he knew for a fact that messy chaotic days full of headaches and troubles were ahead of him. He knew the woman was inexperienced when it came to sexual acts, but this, this was way too much.

"Woman, stop that."

"Eh?"

She jumped.

"I hope you comprehend that what you have just experienced does not even begin to cover what you must experience while working under for Aizen-sama."

Her head dropped.

"Stop your childish and immature acts. We do not have much time in order for your profit and disappointing Aizen-sama will eventually lead to much more ruthless consequences. "

Orihime frowned.

She was upset. She knew what he was getting at however it upset her that he didn't understand where she stood. I mean, it wasn't all about the experience and everything, but she hadn't even held hands with a guy before. Was it too much to ask for him to step into her shoes for a second and think about how hard it was for her to even consider sleeping with a guy, no emotions attached at that?

Orihime crossed her arms as she pouted. She knew the guy was pretty cold and cool and whatever, but he should know that good looks could only get him so far. What good were good looks when he was pretty ignorant when it came to knowing what girls wanted emotionally? I mean, had he ever been in a serious relationship before? She doubted that. He was what her friends would refer to as relay-virgin.

She whispered under her breath with a pout.

"Hai, master _emo-spada_."

Ulquiorra closed his eyes as they had now arrived at their destination. He had definitely heard that and it irritated him since the only imprudent individual that called him that was Grimmjow.

Without another word, he quietly took the keys out and ordered for Orihime to go in first. Then with a quiet sigh, he took out his cigarette box and frowned when he realized that it was his last one. He quietly leaned against his car as he lit his last cigarette and calmed his nerves.

He began to feel as though all blame should be pointed at the boorish girl for nonchalantly stepping into his once non-chaotic life and turning it completely upside down. If he could and if he did have supernatural powers, he would eliminate the girl to ashes; maybe in a different world. He recalled how that morning before running into that reckless girl, he thought about taking a detour since he needed to buy a box of cigarettes anyway.

How much he wished he could turn back time and taken that detour.

* * *

"Good-evening Szayel-kun!"

Orihime came inside the bar, chirping at the pink haired man as he stood by the counter and organized a shuffle of papers.

"Why hello Ms. Inoue, welcome back."

Orihime gave him a bright smile as she walked up to him and stared at his work over his shoulder. Szayel momentarily stopped as he readjusted his rectangular framed glasses and turned around to face the curious girl. Orihime looked up at the man as she smiled innocently.

"Ms. Inoue-san, I believe today I would like for you to meet someone."

She cocked her head to the side.

"Follow me."

Orihime nodded her head as she followed behind the man and through the crowds of busy host men cleaning tables, sweeping floors, organizing bottles of liquor, and preparing for one of the longest nights of the week. Along the way she spotted Grimmjow splayed out in one of the private rooms, loudly snoring away while momentarily running his hand through his messy electric blue locks. She met a couple of others too such as Luppi; who seemed a little eccentric but polite, Kaien, who held a very kind image making it hard for her to believe he was a part of a gang dealing with weapons and drugs; a very tall women who was a European beauty, one like Orihime had never seen before; and finally, a tall man with lazy eyes, always venturing around with his green haired partner. Only thing that bothered Orihime was how young the girl seemed to be.

She followed behind the man who led her through multiple hallways and doors before arriving in a room that looked much like a meeting hall. The room was decorated with a blood red carpet and velvet curtains with golden lanterns decorating the corners. Smack down in the middle of the room was an enormous vintage style wooden table with four black leather sofas, each horizontally and vertically facing one another. Szayel then ordered for one of the other host men to prepare tea as he kindly gestured for Orihime to seat herself as she wished.

Orihime timidly plopped herself onto the end of one of the black leather sofa as she took a cup of hot brewed tea. She looked up at Szayzel who was currently looking through a red leather phonebook as he sat himself across from the nervous girl and crossed his legs.

"Uhm, who am I meeting today Szayzel-kun?"

"Hmmmm?"

He semi-ignored her question as he continued to quietly flip through the pages of his small leather handbook and took notes in it. Orihime grew anxious as she fidgeted with the hem of her skirt as if she was waiting to be called at the dentist. Then, when she decided she couldn't handle the growing tension any longer, the white door to the room slowly creaked open.

Orihime looked up from her cup of tea at the intruder and gaped in awe.

The first thing she saw was flowing bright sea green hair that reached to the skinny hips of a volumptuous woman who stood almost six feet tall. She wore a light beige mini dress that tightly wrapped around her form as her contrasting red twelve inch heels added to her glamorous image. Her skin held a light tan glow as her nimble golden eyes sparkled with every step. And across her face, just at the bridge of her nose, was a red scar that decorated her face like a tint of permanent blush.

Orihime had never seen such a beautiful woman in her life before.

Unconsciously, Orihime jumped up from her seat after setting down her tea and bowed toward the woman in respect. With a beauty and aura such as hers, she was sure that she'd be almost as daunting, or even more so, than Aizen-sama.

"Ah! You must be Owihime-chan! Nice to meet you, ne?"

Out of nowhere, the woman squealed in delight as she energetically took Orihime's hand and began to shake it up and down as if she was pumping for water.

"Nice to meet you! My name is Nelliel Tu Odelshwack but my fellow fwiends call me Nel since my name's too long."

She giggled.

Orihime didn't know whether she should be more shocked at her beauty or her contrasting personality. Orihime quietly smiled back in response as she introduced herself.

The girl urged her to sit down as she sat smack down right next to Orihime and took her hands to her lap as if she were sympathetically cheering up a troubled child, sharing all of her life stories in that single minute. Orihime was overwhelmed by her bubbly nature and she honestly felt dizzy as her talking and squealing continued nonstop.

"Ahem."

Szayzel cleared his throat.

"Oh! I'm sowwy Szayel! I'm so excited to finally meet a fwiend! Well, why did you call me today?"

She finally let go of Orihime's hands.

"Thank you for your attention Nelliel. Well, as you know, Orihime-san here is new to our industry."

Her eyes seemed to grow wider and wider with every word, if that were even possible.

"And I have been notified that she is rather inexperienced and ignorant about the opposite sex."

Soon her smile had grown so large, Orihime was afraid it would fall off.

"So I believe, in my personal aspect, that it would be a rather wise decision for someone the same age, such as yourself, in order to help her out and teach her the mannerisms of flirtation and sexua-"

The girl squealed in delight as she jumped up from her seat and hugged Orihime without hesitation. She then pushed her off and vigoriously shook her shoulders in excitement.

"Waaaahhhh! I can't wait to fwinally hang out wiff someone same as me!"

"Ano, Nelliel-chan. I hope you understand you aren't hanging out but teaching and providing guida-"

"Waaaahhh! I'm so excited Owihime-chan! Can we be best fwiends? Can I give you a nickname?"

Orihime giggled in response to the girl's energetic nature as she continued to nod in response to every question and statement.

Szayel only sighed in response as he fixed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. She sure was a lot of work to handle, and he honestly could have asked Halibel-san to do the favor but for some reason he felt as if Nelliel would have been a better suit. He faintly smiled as he watched the two girls busily engaged in chatter and laughter, reminding him of not two girls working under a sex industry, but just two simple teenage girls.

* * *

Ulquiorra needed sleep.

He wasn't happy about working tonight, well put more clearly, he was never happy working but tonight it was more of a 200% that he was irritated. Tonight, he had already served five women in less than four hours and it was barely passed midnight.

Aizen seemed to be putting more and more customers under his name as his popularity continued to grow. He wasn't complaining about a grand raise in his income, but another zero added meant another one added to his hours. He honestly wasn't one in need of anymore money, yet he wasn't one to complain as well. Ulquiorra recognized it as somewhat of a success whereas Grimmjow referred to him as Aizen's personal bitch.

"Another bottle here!"

The woman that Ulquiorra was serving right now seemed to be pretty stacked and this was already the fourth round they were finishing up. Ulquiorra was beginning to grow dizzy and his headache grew a little more noticeable which he wasn't fond of. He knew he was a little past the stage of tipsy and the thing was, he never got drunk.

Everyone knew that Ulquiorra was one of the top five Espada not only because of his good looks and techniques in bed, but because of his alcohol tolerance. He could drink vodka like water without losing any part of his pale complextion. The only time he had gotten completely shit drunk was three years ago when a woman obsessed with Ulquiorra rented the whole bar, making him take about fourty rounds of tequila and gin tonic. Next day, Ulquiorra recovered by throwing up his guts and blood for 24 hours, sick in bed. Eversince then, his liver had weakened a considerable amount, only being able to take in half of what he used to. And tonight, well, he was getting there.

"Yo Ulqui! How many girls you fuckin' tonight?"

Grimmjow barked from the other end of the bar while he called out a few cheers with his clients.

"I'm surprised ya ain't caught some aids or some shit."

Girls giggled at the bashful comment as Grimmjow's barking laughter filled the commotion. Ulquiorra ignored him and only continued to rub his temples. He was already tipsy and he was already having trouble keeping himself intact. Glasses continued to clink and side talk filled the bar as minutes turned into hours. And drink after drink, glass after glass, shot after shot, the women continued to pamper Ulquiorra.

It was definitely going to be a long, long night.

* * *

Ulquoirra stumbled.

Finally, the end of the night had come. Szayel stood in the middle of the bar as he directed the amateur host men to clean up the tables as he kept track of the sales and calculated the money into his little red handbook.

Grimmjow had passed out on the couch until Luppi came by and nudged him, telling him to go home. He hoarsely cursed as he ruggedly stumbled out the bar with Kaien helping him out. Other host men were packing up their stuff as the front door ringed with every departing individual; some singing and some grumbling.

Ultimately, everyone was pretty fucked up.

Ulquiorra was stumbling his way to the bathroom and he was having trouble concentrating on walking in organized steps. Szayel stopped from punching numbers into his calculator as he glanced over at Ulquiorra. He wasn't too surprised to see Ulquiorra out of his usual stoic stance, however, he was surprised at how bad his condition was. As Ulquiorra finally disappeared behind the bathroom door, Orihime appeared as she lightly skipped her way toward Szayel, seemingly to be in a very good mood.

"Hello Orihime-san."

"Szayel-kun! How was today?"

"Ah, it was extremely busy but work went well. We've been making extreme profit."

Orihime giggled as she stuck around while conversing about her day with Nelliel and how much she was thankful that Szayel took the honor in introducing them to each other. Szayel semi listened as he kept his attention toward the door where the pale man had just disappeared through. He momentarily smiled and made small comments at her ecstatic story about making a new friend at work.

Then, they heard a loud crash.

Orihime turned around and much to her surprise saw Ulquiorra breathing heavily as he tried to hoist himself up while grabbing onto the counter of the bar. Szayel was about to set his stuff down and walk over in order to help Ulquiorra until Orihime had already rushed over, cautiously helping him up with her shoulder. Szayel smiled.

"Ulquiorra-kun! Are you alright?"

He only grunted as he closed his eyes.

Orihime helplessly looked over at Szayel as she questioned as to what she should do. Szayel then picked up the counter phone as he dialed for a personal cab and helped Orihime drag Ulquiorra out the door and into the cab. Orihime then leaped in next to the unconscious man as Szayel gave Ulquiorra's address to the cab driver.

"I'm sorry for troubling you Inoue-san, but I believe Ulquiorra might need someone to help his way home since I have to finish closing up the bar."

"It's fine! I'd be glad to help. Goodnight Szayel-kun."

"Be careful Orihime-san."

With that, he gently closed the cab door and watched as the vehicle quickly drove away. Szayel stood in the night and took a look up into the city night sky. He smiled, as he saw a single star shining from inbetween the heavy clouds, leaving him that tiny spark of hope in his gut. He wasn't sure, and he didn't know what it was, but he knew that this girl would turn things around; and he was just waiting for the show to begin.

* * *

**A/N: I keep noticing that I go back from Szayel calling her Orihime and Inoue, but that's because I get confused about which is her first and which is her last name :/ But please bear with it. **


	16. This Girl

**Chapter 15: This Girl**

* * *

The room stunk of cigarettes as a tall lanky figure stood against the red windowsill of a darkened hotel room. The cigarette smoke he blew against the clearly leaded window as it bounced off and ghosted over the glass, disappearing into thin air.

"Ne, Nnoitora-san"

A dark purple haired girl rolled herself around as her thin body tangled in the black silk sheets of the bed. She slowly rolled herself to the side and hung her feet over the edge. She covered the top of her naked body with the black silky sheet and helped herself to a cigarette.

The cigarette hissed as the fire quickly burned through the bud.

Nnoitora stood quietly as he finished his drag and walked over to the ashtray. He then quietly laid the girl back down on her back as he took the cigarette out of her hand, disposing it onto the rug.

The girl looked up and onto the floor as she grunted.

"Are you trying to burn us alive? That thing can catch on fire and you haven't answered me yet."

Nnoitora roughly shoved the girl away.

"Shut the fuck up. It ain't yer fuckin' business."

"Hmph."

The girl jumped off of the bed as she flicked her head away and reached for her clothes. She huffed a sign of distress as she pulled on her shorts and fixed her zipper.

"You know, I could help you Nnoitora-san."

"Look, I don't need yer help. I just came to give ya a good fuck and do my fuckin' job."

The girl softly slung her hair away from her face and behind her shoulder. She then took a seat on the bed after lighting a new cigarette, turning toward the man who was currently lying butt naked on his side.

"Orihime, ne?"

Nnoitora looked straight at his client.

"Don't worry. No one else knows that I know. Where and how I found out is only obvious since a lot of whores basically work under me."

Nnoitora snarled.

"Hah. Speak to yourself you slut."

"What are you planning to do with her anyway?"

Nnoitora rose himself off of the bed as he reached for his silver mobile phone. His back had been turned away until the girl quietly climbed on and gently stroked his spine, softy cooing into his ear.

"Could it be, revenge?"

Her hand traveled up to his black eye path as she pressed her bare chest against his back, holding the burning cigarette in her left hand.

"Because if it is,"

She slowly rubbed her chest up and down as her nipples perked up, planting down a trail of soft kisses down his nape.

"I'd love to join the game as well."

She slowly turned the man over as she continuously placed her kisses lower and lower as she reached his quivering member. She grinned as she blew on it before taking it all in. Nnoitora showed no reaction as the girl got busy with her work. He crossed his arms below his head as a malicious smile stretched across his bony face.

"Pet-sama, ne?"

* * *

_Oophm_

Orihime plopped the unconscious Ulquiorra onto what was supposedly his bed before dropping to her knees and panting. She deeply sighed as she swiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve. She honestly thought Ulquiorra would be much lighter since he was rather slim, but she was quite incorrect. She honestly had to say that he was pretty heavy and just hard. Not puffy and fluffy like she had hoped but felt like a cold wooden board.

Quietly she collected herself back together as she rose from the marble floor. She was going to go back home since now her deed was done. She took Ulquiorra-kun safely to bed and now it was her turn to go home and get some rest.

With that, she straightened out her skirt and uniform after picking up her bag and confidently headed out the door. Unfortunately, seconds later, she was back, sulking within the darkest corner of Ulquiorra's house. She had spent her last penny on the cab ride and now she was completely broke.

Orihime sighed. She honestly did not want to stay but it was the only option she had. Maybe she'd nurse Ulquiorra on top of that, that way she'd be paying off her debts for spending a night as well.

Orihime quietly crept over to the bed as she placed her school bag next to the bed post and glanced at Ulquiorra's sleeping form. She placed a hand on his forehead as she realized his fever had cooled down quite a bit. It was awfully strange to see him in such a vulnerable state and honestly she felt like he needed the care more than anything right now. Thinking back to it, she quickly scanned his house.

It was empty.

He lived in a one room apartment complex quite big for someone who lived alone. His kitchen seemed to have been left untouched and his only furniture was the black leather couch, a dining table, and then his bed. There was no sight of a television or a computer. However, what had caught her eye was the enormous shelve of books. She recognized that he also had his enormous collection of books back at his quarters in Hueco Mundo. She wondered if the pale man had honestly read each and every single novel, or if it was more of a form of decoration. Either way, he man had probably read more books than she would during her whole lifetime.

Orihime giggled at her own silly yet true remark as she quietly glanced over at his sleeping figure. He really was a beauty; how his pale ivory skin contrasted against his jet black hair and emerald eyes. However, what had bothered her the most were his ornating green tear streaks down his face. She was so curious yet hypnotized by it's beauty. Did it have a significance? It was ironic how perfectly it fit his character rather than appearing strange.

Orihime almost instinctively reached out as she desired to touch his tear marks. They were almost tantalizing; seducing her. He had this unexplainable mesmerizing aura about him, a complete mystery as a person. He was almost like a different species and she could begin to understand why women were always all over him. What he had was not a charm, but rather something the opposite. He emitted everything but being friendly or compassionate, yet somehow, she knew there was something more. What was it? She felt as if maybe just touching those tear marks, just once, would answer all of her questions. Just once-

"Woman, what are you doing?"

Huh?

She blinked. Twice.

"Ahhhhhh!"

An ear screeching scream rang throughout the once peaceful neighborhood.

Ulquiorra rubbed his temples.

"U-Ulquiorra-kun! Wh-when did you wake up?"

Ulquiorra ignored her question as he heavily forced his body off of the sheets and stumbled off the bed toward a cabinet. Orihime sat and stared, wide eyed, as he rummaged through.

"Ulquiorra-kun?"

She noticed his whole back had been covered in cold sweat, his breathing heavy and unstable. He seemed awfully sick and she wanted to help. She watched as he stumbled toward his fridge and pulled out a water bottle before gulping down his pill. He slid his back against the closed fridge and sat on the floor. He closed his eyes as he leaned his head against the door and sat with one knee up to stabilize his balance.

"Woman, when are you planning to leave?"

"I am not."

Ulquiorra's heavy gaze glanced over at the girl before he slowly closed his eyes with a heavy sigh.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not. I can not bare to leave you in a state like this. It is just not in my nature and I always help my friends out."

Ulquiorra would have said a lot of things to put the woman back in her place but he couldn't. He knew he was extremely vulnerable and he hated showing this side of him to anyone. He simply sighed. Just for today, he'd let her be stubborn as she wanted.

Orihime glanced over at the panting man and rose from her spot, walking over to his breathing. She had forgotten to turn the lights on, worried it would bother him, so she had to locate the man by the sound of his panting. She knew she was taking advantage of Ulquiorra's current condition because he wasn't as scary or hostile as before; his barrier had been broken. Ulquiorra's eyes were shut tightly as his breathing wheezed. Then, without hesitation, Orihime gently placed her warm hand upon Ulquiorra's face.

He was cold.

Ulquiorra's emerald eyes flew open as he grabbed her wrist almost out of sheer instinct. It did slightly startle her, however, it wasn't enough to stop her. For quite a faction, she knew he wasn't and wouldn't hurt her despite his cold flat words.

"Do not touch me."

Orihime stared. She heard the warning, it was clear and flat, yet she did not care. Her eyebrows knitted together as her deep grey orbs stared intently into hazed emerald ones. Ulquiorra's grip held onto Orihime's wrist without letting go, his expression without a hint of emotion.

"You're sick."

She gently slid her thumb against his sweaty cheek as she looked into his cold stare, almost as if consoling a crying child. It was the other way around this time. He was vulnerable and she could see straight through the man. And for a split millisecond, one could have sworn to witness a change in Ulquiorra's stoic expression; a spark of confusion and defeat, only seconds later, to return to his usual impassive tone.

"This is my last warning,woman. Do not touch me."

When he did not recieve the usual frightened and obedient reaction from the girl, he gently grabbed her thin wrist and closed his eyes, letting out a mute sigh of defeat. He then heavily lifted his body off of the floor and headed back to his bed.

"Ne, Ulquiorra-kun."

Silence.

"You have an awfully high fever and I believe you might be suffering from alcohol poisoning. Shouldn't you go to the hospital or take some proper medicine?"

Ulquiorra had lay down with his back turned to the girl. She was pestering him more than he would allow but as his fever continued to burn along with his continuous nausea, he knew he wouldn't be able to shoo her away. Therefore, silence was his best ally for now. The girl would eventually leave once he fell asleep, so he decided to at least act it out.

"Ulquiorra-kun?"

"..."

Orihime frowned. She had a feeling he was ignoring her and she was offended. Here she was trying to do a good deed yet he was ignoring her like she was a nuisance.

Orihime didn't like to be ignored.

She then huffed in a big amount of air as she held her breath and crawled toward Ulquiorra's bed. She sat up and stared at Ulquiorra's back. His broad and still form was definitely daunting but that wasn't going to scare her away; atleast this time especially when he was susceptible. She had been with him for a while and now she decided it was time for her to fight back against his mean and controlling attitude.

Orihime called out his name.

"Ne. Ulquiorra-kun."

As she did not get an answer, Orihime huffed as she pouted and decided to call out a little louder.

"Ne, Ulquior-"

Ulquiorra had turned over and before she knew it, he had fallen off the bed and on top of her. Orihime yelped in shock. She was now trapped underneath his heavy body.

_What? Now? Right here? _

Orihime would slap him off if she had to, even if he was sick. How could he think about somethin like that at a time like this? Just as she was about to force him off and maybe even scold his mindless behavior, she realized Ulquiorra hadn't fallen off the bed on purpose. His breathing was ragged and his white collared shirt had been drenched in sweat.

Orihime softly called out.

"Ulquiorra-kun?"

The man was barely able to voice any words as he grunted through his continuous wheezing. Orihime, barely sliding out from under his body, finally freed herself and picked up his heavy form, wrestling him back onto the bed. After she made sure he was in place, she pulled the covers up to his chest and sprinted into the bathroom. A couple moments later, she was back with a wet cloth and a bucket of ice water. She struggled to get Ulquiorra out of his wet shirt and eventually succeeded. However, she failed in getting him into a fresh one so instead she decided to cover his half naked body with the sheets, blushing, of course.

The whole night was a battle as she struggled to keep herself awake while taking care of Ulquiorra. From time to time she'd just sit there and stare at his sleeping face. She wondered when she'd eventually find out how he had gotten those green streaks under his eyes. While she was undressing him, she had also noted the fact that he had the number four imprinted on his right chest. Thinking back, she also remembered that Grimmjow had the number six tattooed onto his lower back. She began to wonder if it was a significant tattoo that every espada host or hostess had to get. Would that mean she would need to get one as well? What number would she eventually get? How many numbers were there in total? She began to ponder in her own thoughts and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

* * *

The room was pleasantly cool when Ulquiorra awakened to the sound of gentle raindrops drumming against his window. He slid up his heavy body as his head slightly rang. It wasn't a painful headache but only enough to be a reminder for an awful hangover. Then it came back to him.

He looked down at the sleeping girl next to his bed. She was sitting on the floor and sleeping on the edge of his bed with her arms folded below her. He shifted his gaze around his apartment and realized how his laundry had been neatly organized, how his sheets had been changed, and finally, how he was topless. He wasn't quite sure how that one fit in, however, he didn't want to think about it with his headache. Finally, when his eyes had landed back on the girl, he saw the redness in her hands. Her fingers were tinted in crimson along with the bucket filled of ice cold water and it's damp cloth hanging on its rim.

Ulquiorra sighed.

This girl.

What was he to do with her?

* * *

**A/N: Awwwwwww. Will he finally open up to her?**


	17. The Encounter

**Chapter 16: The Encounter**

* * *

"Achoo!"

"Inoue, you alright?"

"Ah, sorry about that."

"Did you catch a cold or something? You've been sneezing throughout the whole lecture."

"No, I'm fine. Thank you Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo smiled sadly. He knew she was suffering from a light cold since she had been continously sneezing and sniffing throughout the class. But, just like Orihime, she never wanted others to worry about her. Ichigo respected her for that. She was always independent and hard working, never trying to dissapoint anyone. However, he didn't think a helping hand from time to time would be too bad; especially since she seemed to be so busy and exhausted these days.

"Oh yeah, by the way, Arisawa was frantically loooking for you earlier. She seemed pretty upset and went on about you not calling her yesterday or something."

_Oh no!_

Orihime gasped. Tatsuki-chan wasn't going to be too happy about this. She had promised to call her everyday after her 'shift', but she had completely forgotten about it yesterday taking care of Ulquiorra.

"Kurosaki-kun! Do you know where she is right now?"

"No, not really sure. But I'm sure she'll come back looking for you anyway."

"If she comes looking for me in the classroom, please tell her to meet me behind the school yard!"

"Uhh, sure. Alright."

Without even thinking twice, Orihime swiftly dashed out of her classroom and ran down the hallway in search of her best friend. When she had arrived, class was still going on as Orihime quietly peeked into Tatsuki's period. She had hoped that their class had ended a couple minutes earlier like hers had, however, unluckily the teacher was still writing formula's onto the chalkboard.

With wide and curious eyes, Orihime quickly scanned the classroom through the window in search of her friend until she realized Tatsuki-chan was missing. Slightly confused, Orihime double checked the class's distinctive number and knew she wasn't mistaken. This was Tatsuki-chan's class, but where was she?

"Inoue!"

Orihime nearly jumped out of her skin as a familiar voice called her from behind.

"Tatsuki-chan!"

Tatsuki stared at the disheveled girl with wide eyes. Tatsuki had just come back from the teachers room and was surprised to find her best friend peeking into her own classroom. Realizing that she must have heard her news from Ichigo, Tatsuki smiled in quiet relief.

* * *

"Oh, I see. So that's what happened."

"I'm sorry Tatsuki-chan. I keep dissappointing you..."

Tatsuki smiled brightly as she handed Orihime a drink.

"Nah, it's fine. Don't sweat it. But I hope you do remember next time. I really was worried that something might have happened to you. I almost called Ichigo to go check up on you or something till I remembered how much you wanted to keep this to yourself. But it's fine. I know now a couple missed calls doesn't mean you're in trouble."

Orihime fell silent. She couldn't express how thankful she was for a friend like Tatsuki-chan. She would never be able to thank her enough for always caring and taking care of her.

Orihime smiled sadly as she took the drink from her friend.

The soda can sizzled as Tatsuki clicked it open and took a refreshing gulp.

"Well, I would like to meet this guy you're talking about one day. He doesn't seem too bad but still, I'd like to see him for myself."

"Uhm, sure. I can try but I have to tell you, he definitely does not have the best personality."

"Yeah, well just becareful since he still is working at a bar. I'm not implying anything but you shouldn't get too close to him until you know for sure. Well, anyways, seems like we should head back to class. You have a shift today as well?"

"Ah, no. I believe I am free on Saturdays."

"Good! Then I'll see you after class!"

With that, Tatsuki gulped down the rest of her soda and threw the empty can into the nearest trash. As the first bell rang out through the campus, she gave Orihime a light wave before dashing off toward her next period. Orihime smiled as she waved back and watched her best friend disappear through a different hallway. When her friend was finally out of sight, Orihime frowned. She had told Tatsuki-chan a little about Ulquiorra-kun but not about the whole incident yesterday. She simply introduced him as someone who worked the same shift as her and that the reason why she was unable to contact Tatsuki-chan was because they were both kept longer since it was a Friday.

Orihime sighed.

This was torture, having to lie to her friend.

Hearing the last school bell ring, Orihime quietly got up and began to head towards her own class with the unopened soda can held tightly against her chest. She hadn't realized it before, but Tatsuki-chan had gotten her favorite kind; coconut apple.

* * *

_**Earlier This Morning**_

_Bzzzzzzzzzz Bzzzzzzz Bzzzzzzzz_

_Orihime slowly opened up her eyes as she had awoken to a soft vibration beside her head. Quietly rubbing the sleep and soreness out, Orihime silently yawned and stretched out her legs as she climbed out of bed. She had had an extremely good sleep and it was definitely a bright morning which had to mean it would be a great day._

_Her stomach grumbled as the sweet aura of fresh toast slowly crept up her nose. Still groggy and half asleep, she dragged herself across the cold marble floor before sitting herself in an unfamaliar dinner table; waiting for her slice to be served. She was still dozing in and out of sleep and hadn't realized that a pair of cold emerald eyes were boring into her at the very moment. _

_Without any words nor comments, Ulquiorra silently placed a plate with fresh toast and butter in front of the snoozing girl. As she recieved her plate, she quietly bowed and softly mumbled a thank you before picking up the piece and eventually lulling back into sleep. Ulquiorra quietly observed the girl and noted not only was she clumsy and stupid and careless, but ridiculous in many different foolish aspects as well._

_"...get ready woman. We're leaving in ten."_

_Without looking up, Orihime whined as she rolled her head around in misery at the thought of going back to school. She groaned before she shortly answered._

_"Yes, brother... I will get rea-"_

_Ulquiorra sighed as he thought it was about time she came back to her senses._

_The girl glanced up with wide eyes at the stoic man who loosely stood against the kitchen counter with a cup of fresh black coffee in his hand. He was staring right at her with a mocking air around about him and she knew he had been observing her the whole time in silence, probably enjoying the whole show. _

_"...Ah...ano...go-good morning Ulquiorra-kun! How are you feeling?"_

_The stoic man quietly locked eyes onto the girls blushing face before silently turning away. He headed toward his balcony for a morning smoke without answering the distressed girl, leaving her to herself behind to cope with. _

_Orihime groaned. She actually sometimes really disliked herself. _

_After beating herself down in embarassment, she reluctantly recollected herself and headed toward the balcony where Ulquiorra was currently smoking. She could see the smoke burning from his cigarette ghost through the little crack of the open sliding door and into his house. _

_"Ano, Ulquiorra-kun."_

_Orihime had slid the door open wide enough for her to sqeeze her body through and peek out into the cool morning air. She had called out his name, but as usual, he showed no physical response. He just continued to stare out into the streets below him; holding the burning bud inbetween his fingers._

_"How are you feeling?"_

_Ulquiorra remained silent. He wasn't going to answer her. He was actually annoyed to the point of threatening her to put her back in her place. Did she think he would be thankful that she had 'nursed' him the day before? What was she expecting? A friendly 'thank you' with a warm smile? It was ridiculous. He wasn't going to take any more of her innocent acts and smiles. He knew she was just like any other whore out there and all he had to do was prove it. It wasn't far before he would reveal her true self. He could already read who she was. It was obvious. All women were obvious. All obvious to quiver in desire like animals under his feet. That's what they were and this girl was no different._

_"Ne, Ulquiorra-kun. Maybe you should rest today and stay home."_

_Ulquiorra lit out his cigarette as he slid the balcony door open and entered. Orihime silently stepped aside as she gave him his space. As Ulquiorra made his way toward the kitchen to pour himself another cup, the girl quietly tailed behind like a lost puppy._

_"I also have a friend who actually knows quite well about medicine since his father is a doctor. Maybe I could ask him about some tips after consuming hard liquor so you can take better care of your-"_

_Ulquiorra snapped._

_He roughly shoved the girl against the wall as he glared into her eyes. He had seen that look before. He had seen it many times before in his own reflection. Then, without warning, he roughly ripped her school uniform apart as the buttons scattered and bounced across the marble floor. He could feel her trembling yet resisting with all her might as she struggled to push him off. He wasn't going to play babysitter anymore with this girl. She was trash and it was about time he had gotten his deed done. _

_"What? U-Ulquio-"_

_Ulquiorra brutally covered the girl's mouth with his pale hand. Her wide grey orbs stared in comic shock as she whimpered in reluctance. Then, without a seconds notice, Ulquiorra ripped the frail girl's bra strap off, barely exposing half of her chest. He could feel how the girl squirmed harder under his titanium grasp, begging for him to stop. He then roughly pinned her arms to her side and dangerously trailed his other hand over her left breast. No emotions were evident. No words were said. Nothing could be seen upon the pale man's face as his impassive stare bore straight into tightly shut eyes. _

_He brought his face closely against the girl's heated ear before stating in ice cold deatachment. _

_"Listen to me woman. You are worthless to me. A worthless existence of my time and being. I am not here to babysit your expectations to have a friendly affair in which trash like you recall as a necessity. We have no personal connections and I believe you have forgotten as to why you are here with me. I am to teach you to be a whore, woman. Do not take me so lightly just because I have been lenient with you. I will and can harm you in any way as I permiss to do so. Do not, make me repeat myself again."_

_With that, Ulquiorra silently let the girl go as he watched her fall to her knees. He quietly turned away as he grabbed his keys from the counter, making his way to the door for his exit._

_"Make sure to leave before I come back. I will be expecting to see you present on Mond-"_

_"Then why?"_

_"..."_

_Ulquiorra stopped in his tracks. He slowly shifted his gaze behind to the girl as he watched her weep, buttoning up what was left of her shirt with trembling fingers. _

_"I don't understand you at all Ulquiorra-kun."_

_Silence remained._

_"You always tell me how much you hate me yet you always take care of me. Even yesterday you were so sick yet you woke up in the middle of the night and tucked me into your own bed when you went to go sleep on the sofa. You always ignore me and tell me how annoying I am yet you still deal with it. And I know for a fact, that you could have had your way with me a long time ago and end your job without going through all this trouble, however, you always decide otherwise. You're just a liar, Ulquiorra-kun. You're not really as heartless and scary as you make yourself to be. You're a very kind person. I actually think you're just putting up a front because you are lonely."_

_"..."_

_Wiping her tears away, she sat in place and collected the fallen buttons from the ground. _

_"Maybe you are right. Maybe you are a heartless monster who only lives because you have no reason to die. Maybe you are right that we are all just stupid to believe in compassion and friends in order to live on, however, is that really so horrible? Is it really a waste of time to have someone to rely on and trust when you are in trouble? Is it really so ridiculous to have a friend who you can simply share your joys and tears with? Is it really so horrible to want to protect those who are special to you no matter what happens? I don't believe that Ulquiorra-kun. And no matter how useless you say it is, I don't think you believe it either."_

_Orihime had finally finished collecting the rest of her buttons before confidently standing up to face the quiet man with a gentle smile._

_"It is true that sometimes we are very ridiculously stupid when it comes to sacrificing things for our loved ones, sometimes even putting our lines on the line. We are vulnerable, however, that is what makes friends and loved ones so important. We all learn from our mistakes, Ulquiorra-kun. It is why we are human. That is why you are a liar, Ulquiorra-kun, because you are human as well."_

_"..."_

_Ulquiorra was disturbed. _

_What in the world had gotten into him? What nonsense was this girl babbling on about? He could feel himself starting to lose face standing there, listening to the girl's mindless rant. She was getting under his skin and he didn't like that. He was the one supposed to be getting under her's, giving her orders, having her bend at her knees below him by his command. It was becomming twisted. Everything was beginning to grow out of place, leaving him speechless and disgusted._

_Ulquiorra continued to stand in silence with impassive emerald eyes glued to solid grey orbs. The girl just stood there, unmoved. Her expression was strong and unshaken. He could sense the girl's lightened spark. It had been dim before, but now it had grown into a full fire. Rather then breaking her spirit like he had hoped, it had grown stronger. _

_She was not afraid of him. _

_Finally, Ulquiorra silently broke the eye contact before picking up his keys that were lying on the counter. _

_"...You will be present on Monday."_

_And with the gently slamming of the door, he left._

* * *

Ulquiorra's head rang. His headache had gotten much better however it still bothered him. It was a Saturday and unlike how most people took the day off after noon, it was the beginning of one of the busiest days for the Espada.

He was currently taking a smoke in his balcony while silently observing another busy morning in Shinjuku. He had been rendering in his own thoughts and much to his dislike, his thoughts would render toward the girl. No matter how hard he tried to think of other important matters, he would always go back to the girl. It was annoying and he didn't like it. Especially ever since this morning when they had their well, argument, her voice had grown stronger in his mind, alway repeating what she had said. Everything she would do or say, stuck to him like glue.

After taking in his last draw, he put the bud out and walked back into his living room. It was only ten o'clock in the morning and he didn't have his shift until later that night. And as aggravated he was, in order to keep himself busy away from thoughts of the girl, he decided to spend his hours doing some productive reading.

He quietly ruffled his messy black locks before taking a seat on his leather couch, grabbing for the novel by the night stand. Just as he was about to open up his heavy book, much to annoyance, his phone vibrated noisly against the glass table.

Ulquiorra answered darkly.

"Yes."

"Yo cunt face. Watcha doin?"

_Grimmjow_.

"Nothing of your concern."

"Tch'. Well since ya don't seem to be doin' anything important, open up."

"What?"

"Open up the fuckin' door ya fag."

Ulquiorra sighed. Of course. How stupid of him to hope for some peace in his own house during his own hours off with that imbecile Grimmjow around.

Clicking his phone off, he quietly headed toward his front door and only quickly turned the knob to let Grimmjow in before heading back to his couch. Then, inviting himself into the house, Grimmjow smiled sadistically as he sat himself across from the pale man.

"So, Mr. Shitfaced, how ya' feelin? Heard that Orihime chick had to drag your ass back home yesterday."

"I'm fine."

Ulquiorra tried to ignore the stupidly smiling giant blue haired idiot that continued to eye him up and down.

"So, ya' finally bang her? Like, I'm speaking as in sticking your's into hers, just incase you don't 'comprehend.'"

Ulquiorra ignored the crackling moron as he kept his gaze locked onto the page of his book. Grimmjow continued to eye the pale man inch by inch, waiting for his answer. Annoyed with Grimmjow's presence itself, Ulquiorra sighed as he put his book away and reached into the pocket of his grey sweatpants, pulling out his pack of cigarettes.

"I don't think it's any of your concern. Why are you here, you must have something else productive to do."

Grimmjow barked out a laugh, satisfied that he had finally gotten his answer. Realizing that Ulquiorra's pack was empty, he pulled out his own brand as he handed one of them to the pale bastard.

"Ya got a lighter?"

Ulquiorra pulled out a lighter from his other pocket and headed toward his balcony. He silently lit the bud and continued to smoke in silence. Grimmjow stood from his seat and followed his old pal as he spoke.

"Well, ya know I actually came cause I have some important info' for ya."

Ulquiorra nonchalantly gave Grimmjow his attention.

"Well, actually yesterday after ya and that chick left, I was goin' back to my house when I saw some two high school skanks talkin' to our good ol' friend Nnoitora. I'm not really sure since I was pretty shitfaced myself, but I'm pretty sure I heard your chick's name."

"She is not my chick."

"And I'm not really sure what that fuckers up to but anything out of his mouth ain't ever good. I reckon those girls were wearin' that uniform from Arrancar high. Pretty fuckin' rich school and I also know yer lover Aizen's cousin goes there."

Grimmjow then finally lit out his cigarette as Ulquiorra put out his own.

"What are you exactly proposing, Grimmjow?"

"Thing is, I don't fuckin' know either, but I just get a bad fuckin' feelin' bout it."

Ulquiorra stood silently as he stared off into the honking traffic.

"My only good guess is that Nnoitora's probably plannin' some dirty shit. Dunno what it exactly might be and it ain't a fuckin' coicidence that he's gettin friendly with those girls from Arrancar high."

Ulquiorra listened without saying anything. Grimmjow might come off as a hard headed beast like animal running on instinct, but Ulquiorra knew him well enough to know what he was saying had some credit.

"Nnoitora has always had a vile and negative grudge towards his upper Espada. I persume he is dissatisfied with the idea of my current placement with this woman, however, I will make sure he is incapable of causing any trouble."

Grimmjow put his cigarette out as he flicked it out into the air.

"Yeah, yeah ,yeah, just a fuckin' 'thank you' should 'suffice' your majesty."

Ulquiorra ignored Grimmjow's mock as he entered the living room with the big blue haired man entering behind.

"Well, I gotta' take off now. Gotta' go fuck some girl who's been whinin' about it for a while. See ya' later at the store cuntface."

Ulquiorra's unfaltering frown saw Grimmjow finally leaving him alone in his apartment. Letting out a small sigh at the welcomming silence, Ulquiorra opened up his novel once again. However, this time much to his displeasure, he was unable to concentrate.

He quietly ruffled his raven hair in distress before getting up and standing in front of his balcony. He stood there in silence as he stared out with his hands deeply submerged into his pockets.

He had an idea about who one of the girls Grimmjow had mentioned could be since she was one of his clients on fairly rare occasions. However, he couldn't quite figure out as to why and what relation they had to Nnoitora. He was only famous for demanding affairs with older women, affluent in money and status. He also knew that Loly was Aizen's cousin so that fit perfectly together, yet what did that have to do with Nnoitora? Even though Aizen had threatened to place the girl under Nnoitora's 'care' if he had not undertaken the assignment, what did Loly have to do with Nnoitora? Something important was missing.

Ulquiorra quickly changed into a simple outfit as he grabbed his car keys and headed out the door. As much as to his dislike, for the sake of his duty, he'd have to speak to the woman as soon as possible.

* * *

"Yo! Inoue!"

"Ah, Kurosaki-kun!"

Ichigo smiled brightly as he approached the blushing girl, along with the usual crew of Ishida, Chad, Rukia, and Renji.

"Whatcha' doing?"

"Oh, I'm just waiting for Tatsuki-chan!"

"Inoue!"

Out of nowhere, Tatsuki popped out as she roughly swung her arm around the frail girl and smiled whole heartedly.

"Wassup, hot head?"

"What?! Shut up you carrot head."

"What did you say? Why don't you say it to my face?"

"I just did you dumbass!"

"Typical. Always the incompetent and uneducated ones to fight."

"Shuddap, Ishida you gay wannabe designer."

Orihime stood still as she awkwardly laughed off one of their daily fights. She was used to their daily quarrells and even though they were up to each other's necks, she knew how friendly and how much they cared for each other. Their liveliness was actually what had saved Orihime from her dark days, especially after her brother had passed away.

Whilst their arguing continued, having had enough of it, Rukia stepped up as she knocked both Ichigo and Ishida on the head, demanding them to shut up.

Orihime quietly giggled.

"Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, well today Orihime is off limits because it's an all girls hangout. Only girls, ya got it carrot head?"

Tatsuki grinned as she slowly dragged Orihime away.

"Yeah yeah, whatever."

Ichigo commented as he rubbed the back of his head where Rukia had struck.

"Anyways, Rukia, do you have any plans further this day?"

"Sorry but I have to go see my brother since he's back in town for a week."

The whole group continued to chatter away as they reached the school gates, when suddenly Ichigo stopped conversing with Orihime and glanced up ahead. Orihime giggled until she realized she didn't have Ichigo's attention anymore and glanced in his direction.

"Who is that?"

_...Oh no_.

The whole group glanced over in Ichigo's direction as a tall man with a deadly cold aura walked toward Ichigo and his friends.

"Wait a minute, he seems familiar.."

Ichigo put up a threatening front. The whole group of friends were now silent as they stared at the approaching man. Ichigo quickly scanned the pale and unusual man. Setting aside the chilling aura the mysterious man portrayed, his unusually tattooed face didn't make it any better. He wasn't an ordinary person and definitely not a student so what the hell was he doing here and furthermore, why the hell was he walking towards them? Well, he shouldn't assume things too rashly and start and unwanted fight.

The man had finally reached the confused group as the stopped his organized footsteps directly in front of Ichigo. He then quietly eyed each individual in the group in silence, with eyes as if hunting for prey. Then, vibrant emerald eyes finally locked gazes with light shaking grey ones.

The girl gasped.

"Ul-Ulquiorra-kun! What are you doing here?"

Shocked glances were given to and back among the group of friends as they all stared in disbelief.

"Woman, come with me now. You and I have some things to discuss of current importance."

Just as Ulquiorra was about to turn around and leave after giving his orders to the girl, a hand roughly grabbed his shoulder along with an angry voice.

"And who the hell are you?"

Ulquiorra abruptly stopped as he silently eyed the hand on his shoulder before brushing it off. Offended, Ichigo took another step foward as he asked with a clear hint of threatening anger.

"Who the hell are you."

Without another word, the man swiftly turned on his heel, comming directly face to face with an orange haired hot head; his emerald gaze unfaltering and piercing through the young boy.

"I don't have time for _trash. _Step aside, boy."


	18. At Sunset

**Chapter 17: At Sunset**

* * *

"Step aside, boy."

Ichigo snarled at the pale man elliciting a cold aura. Hell no like he was going to back down, especially since the creep seemed to have some business with Orihime. Just as he was about to actually initiate a fight, Orihime had stepped up from the group.

"U-Ulquiorra-kun! What are you doing here?"

Ichigo staggered. What? Orihime actually knew who this freaky looking guy was?

"Ano, Kurosaki-kun. Please meet Ulquiorra-kun."

Both men stood facing each other in silence, the other one growling and snarling. It was extremely awkward as Orihime stood inbetween them with sweaty palms. Her mind had gone blank as a continuous scream of panic shot through her body.

"Well, uhm...everyone, this is, uhm...he is, ano-"

All of her friends stared as they impatiently waited for Orihime to come clean about their relationship.

"Well, you see...uhm..."

"Yo! Ulqui!"

Pouncing out of nowhere, Tatsuki swung her arm around and on the pale intruder as she greeted him with a friendly burst of laughter.

"Yo...Ulkee..!? You here to pick up Orihime again?"

Tatsuki smiled as she stared straight into Ulquiorra's expressionless face, trying to urge and answer out. Confusion was evident in his frown for he did not know or had ever seen this girl. The only thing he could note, was that she must have been a close acquaintance with the girl. However, acquaintance or not, he did not appreciate the fact that she was disrespecting his private perimeters.

Uqluiorra spoke flatly.

"I have no business with any of you. Come now woman. We have no time to waste."

_What the hell was going on?_

Ichigo growled as he put up a threatening stance, ready to take on the man just incase he were to take another step foward. Something was strange. He had seen that face somewhere before. He couldn't exactly pinpoint where and when, but he could recognize those tattoos. Who was he?

And just like that, he grabbed Orihime's wrist, pulling her foward. Ichigo watched as Orihime's orbs grew wide, forcefully pulled toward the daunting man. That was it. Ichigo dropped his school bag onto the ground and pulled up his sleaves. He dashed foward, ready to jump and beat the man to a pulp until -

"He-he's my boyfriend!"

She blurted it out.

"..."

"...wah?"

Ichigo staggered and lost his balance as he tripped over and face first dived into the pavement.

Ulquiorra's eyes slighlty widened.

Awkward silence hung in the air as even Tatsuki gaped at what she had just heard. Ishida had dropped his bag and his composure along with the rest of the group that had suddenly transformed into a group of fish gaping for air.

"H-he and I have been dating, uhm, for a while now."

"...Inoue..."

Ichigo blankly mumbled to himself, unable to think. He couldn't believe it. Had he heard her correctly? Did she say, boyfriend? Wait a minute, what? Ichigo's contorted face glanced over at the pale man, hoping for him to deny the claim. However, all that was given in reply was a long and heavy sigh from his pale lips. He barely gave a shake of his head before submerging his hands back into his jeans, slowly shifting his to the orange headed boy.

Was she lying? No. Orihime never lied, but why him? Didn't she prefer guys more, well, like him? Suddenly, it occured to him that he may be holding her by the neck, threatening her to abide him. Getting a little back of his confidence back that he may be right, Ichigo clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

"What have you done to Inou-"

"WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHH?"

Suddenly, Ichigo had been roughly shoved out of the way as a monstrous valley of breasts had popped out of nowhere, coming eye level with Orihime.

"Ne, ne, ne! When did this happen?"

Ulquiorra realized the familiar face as he glanced over at the volumptuous woman with sky blue eyes. She was there that night with the girl.

"O-oh, well uhm. Good afternoon, Rangiku-san. He, uhm, well he quit his job and we've been together ever since."

"Ehhhhhhhhhhhh? Really?"

Rangiku pouted as she wooed the smaller girl, shouting indecent sexual remarks and nudging the pale man playfully with her elbow.

"Wait, what do you mean he quit his job? How old is he?"

Ichigo butted in after he was able to recover from being thrown into the wall by his busty peer; almost endangering his life. Rangiku pouted as she clinged onto Orihime and gleefully shared the information.

"A host! One of the most popular in Japan too!"

"WWWWWHAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTT TT?!"

Orihime could have sworn she saw a clash of lightening strike over her friends, struck like it would in a horror movie. Simultaneously, they screamed at the top of their lungs.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?"

Orihime stayed silent before busting out an awkward laughter, rubbing the back of her head. Ulquiorra, on the other hand, showed no reaction. His patience had grown thin, and he had wasted enough of his time playing with these insolent children. He silently turned on his heel and walked toward his car, leaving the baffled group behind. Soon, realizing that the shuffling of feet were missing behind him, he turned around and gave one last cold demand.

"Come."

Noticing the impatience in his voice, Orihime too, quickly turned on her heel and left the group behind. Realizing just doing so in a sticky situation would trouble her more, she turned around and waved with the brightest smile she could muster.

"I'm sorry everyone! I promise to explain everything later!"

With that, the group watched in silence as their bright orange headed friend had disappeared into the black vehicle. It soon roared back to life and in seconds, disappeared into the busy road.

What had just happened? Sure she knew about the pale guy before, but her boyfriend? It was like a big yellow school bus had ran her over, and repeatedly did so for a couple hundred times or more. Her thoughts went spiral as her heart sank to the bottom of her gut. She knew something was wrong, very wrong.

* * *

Orihime silently picked at her split ends. What had she done? What was she doing? Like her friends had questioned, she must have been out of her mind.

Ulquiorra sat in silence as he had pulled over to the side of a parking lot in an isolated spot. He turned off his engine, wearing down a heavier silence. He then shifted his gaze towards the fidgeting girl. She seemed troubled and disorientated, lost in her own thoughts as her eyebrows were knitted together.

"Woman."

She jumped.

"I have an important matter of inquire."

She cocked her head.

"Have you ever come in contact with other females from Arrancar Private?"

"Arrancar private? You mean that rich private school? No, why?"

Ulquiorra said nothing further. He had already anticipated the answer, seeing the way she was unharmed, however he needed to make sure. So, they hadn't made their move yet.

"Woman, I need you to contact me or Grimmjow if you do."

"Eh? Why? Is someone looking for me?"

"It is a precaution."

"Oh. Okay."

Great. That didn't make her feel any better to know that not only her friends probably hated her, but she had other girls from different schools coming after her. Orihime sighed deeply. She felt like jumping off of her balcony or vanishing into thin air.

"Ano, Ulquiorra-kun?"

Ulquiorra shifted his eyes toward the girl.

"Do you, do you think everyone will be safe?"

Silence remained. Orihime wasn't expecting anything from him, however, at the moment, she needed some reassurance. She felt like a candle in a thunderstorm, naked and vulnerable, helpless to the forthcoming violence.

Ulquiorra's interest piqued. She was expecting him to baby her. How absurd.

"Have you forgotten?"

She looked up.

"I have discussed this with you already. You are property of Aizen-sama. What do you want me to sit here and say? -Do not worry. You will be safe. Your friends will not be harmed. Everything will be alright.-"

"..."

"Pathetic. I am not here to pamper you. I do not understand you. Your friends will leave you anyway, so why do you care? They will leave you once they find out what you have become, so why should you care for their protection? You are a fool. You should be able to laugh all of this off whether they are harmed or not. So why can't you? I laugh at your stupidity wo-"

SLAP

Ulquiorra's right cheek stung. The woman had slapped him. His head had been forced into a 45 degree as the slap echoed and hung in the air. He slowly shifted his emerald eyes toward the panting girl in silence; her tears dangerously about to spill. He stilled his movement without reaction, analyzing her expression.

She was hurt.

Ulquiorra shifted his gaze away from the girl, speaking in his usual monotone.

"I shall be dropping you off now."

Orihime had her hand up against her chest, breathing raggedly at her anger. How dare he? How could he?

"That is unnecessary."

Calmly picking up her bag, she opened the door and quietly stepped out. Ulquiorra only glanced at the girl once more before he skidded his way out and away from her sight.

* * *

Shit.

Ichigo grumbled as he lazily rolled around in his bed. He still was having a hard time recovering from the shock about Orihime's new 'boyfriend'. Why the hell didn't he know before? Had she really grown so far away from him? But then again, no one else knew about it either other than Arisawa. Well, her mouth said she did but her face had said otherwise. Was she hiding something from everyone? And a host at that? Seriously? Something was really fishy about the whole thing. Also, to top it off, Ichigo had seen that face somewhere before. It was vaguely very familiar.

Ichigo sighed as eh stretched his legs, turning to face his purring cat, Kon. He was exhausted and he could feel his fatigue slowly turning him over as the sunlight warmly fell on his face.

_Tearstreaks. Green tattoos. Inoue. Host bar. Pale face. Black hair. Green eyes. A daunting aura. _

_..._

Ichigo's eyes shot open as he lunged for his phone and punched in a number, hastily throwing on a warm jacket, dashing down the stairs.

"Ehh? Ichigo nii-san! Where are you going? Dinner's ready!"

"Sorry Karin! I'll be back in a couple minutes!"

After leaving his house, he continued to run down the street, waiting for the other end to pick up. Just as he was about to hang up the phone and concentrate on running just a bit faster, the other end clicked.

"Ichigo?"

"Yo! Arisawa! Where are you?"

* * *

Ulquiorra had been slapped.

Currently, he was driving back to work, after having dropped off at home and changing into his appropriate attire. Traffic was immense as cars were packed on the streets with drivers honking and cursing at one another like wild animals.

So, he had been slapped by a high school girl. It was not his first time to be slapped in all honesty, however, it was his first time being slapped by a girl with an age different of 9 years. It did not hurt, yet alone leave a sting, however, it had surprised him. It was interesting how she could lose herself so easily when he insulted her friends when he was so sure she would just break down crying. He had underestimated her; she was a strong willed woman.

Ulquiorra parked his car in the back of the bustling club, noticing that the night had already begun. The clinking of glasses and laughing of women echoed throughout the halls and back to the alley where he was. He locked his car and quietly made his way to the back door in his usual casual stride until an unbecoming nasally voice interrupted him.

"Yo, buddy! How's that little pet of yours doing?"

_Nnoitora._

The giant man emerged from the shadows with the clankering of metal, snickering as he towered over the pale man.

"I know all about it! Aizen-sama put you in charge of taking care of that chick right? Sweet deal. So, how far have you taken her 'training?'"

Ulquiorra glared.

"Disgusting."

Nnoitora slammed his hand against the wall, blocking Ulquiorra's way.

"Now, now, now, don't be such a weiner. All I want to know is if it's going well or not."

"You are concerned about such a small matter? You must be very bored."

"Ehhhh?"

"Do not worry about it. She is in the palm of Aizen-sama and none of it concerns your behalf."

With that said, Ulquiorra continued on his way, leaving behind the tall individual sneering at him in disgust.

"Yeah well, we'll see about that."

* * *

"So, you know him?"

Tatsuki and Ichigo were sitting on the bench of a nearby playground, solemny discussing Orihime's matter at hand.

Tatsuki sighed.

"No."

Ichigo glared at the ground. He was angry.

"What the hell Arisawa! What the hell did you think you were doing?"

Tatsuki snapped back.

"I don't know Ichigo! But you can't do anything!"

"What do you mean I can't do anything?! Don't you think somethings just wrong? How can you just sit back like that and let it all happen?"

"Then what the hell can you do? Just because you saw him collide with Orihime that oen time doesn't mean anything!"

"Fuck! I don't know! But we can't just sit here like this when we don't know who the hell he is! What if he's putting her in danger? What the hell will you do then? What the hell will you do when Orihime gets hurt?"

"..."

"Tch"

Ichigo kicked at the ground as he glared up into the sky. It was sure as hell getting colder as it was already reaching the end of September.

"Ichigo."

"What."

"Do you like Orihime?"

Ichigo stuttered.

"W-what the hell does that have to do with anything?"

Tatsuki remained silent at his remark.

"All I know is that they work at the same bar under the same hours. It is a possibility that they met there, considering Rangiku and Orihime's story, but other then than, I don't know."

Ichigo calmed down as he sat down next to Tatsuki.

"Do you really believe that that's all there is to it?"

"...I don't know Ichigo, but we can't just jump to conclusions either."

Tatsuki sat with her hands folded in front of her, staring into the ground.

"Ichigo."

"...yeah?"

"If you really love Orihime so much, promise me, you'll protect her no matter what."

Ichigo blushed crimson.

"W-what the hell."

Tatsuki stared straight at the boy, holding her stern gaze. Overwhelmed, Ichigo looked away and at the sky.

"You don't need to tell me that."

Gazing at the blushing boy, Tatsuki-smiled.

"Thank you, Ichigo."

"Well, since I'm not supposed to know about this like you insist, I'll stay out of it but remember, I'm gonna kill you if anything happens to her."

Tatsuki sprung up from her seat and exclaimed back at the boy.

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try that."

She smiled as she playfully challenged his remark, following Ichigo's gaze to look up at the bright evening sky.

* * *

Orihime had been sniffling the whole while walking back home. How dare he say such things to her? Did he always have to break her spirit like that? She knew he was cold and impassive and all but that was just what her friends would refer to as 'being an asshole'. It was hurtful.

Holding her school bag against her chest, she was now walking past the river near the street. The water sparkled like diamonds against the beautiful sunset, cheering her back up, just a bit. When she would get home, she'd take a warm bath and then read some of her favorite textbooks, snacking on her favorite red bean paste. Yes, that would definitely do the trick.

Feeling a bit better, her footsteps grew lighter as she was now skipping her way home. Her day hadn't been too bad if she encouraged it postively and she knew she'd be happy all over again as soon as she could spill her heart out to her brother.

Just as she had reached the end of the river, someone called out in despair.

"HELP! Somebody help!"

Startled, Orihime quickly looked around her surroundings.

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan!"

Orihime snapped back in front of her, spotting a young fair girl in a white floral dress, hastily running towards her.

"Help me! Please! Onee-chan, my sister! She-she suddenly collapsed!"

"What?"

Orihime dropped her bag and kneeled down to try and console the crying girl.

"She-she's over there! Come, please!"

"Have you tried calling the police?"

"We-we were just out for a walk and our parents aren't home right now! Please!"

"Alright, calm down. What is your name?"

The girl sniffled as she desperately tried to wipe her tears away, finally answering Orihime's question in a broken voice.

"...Miomi..."

Orihime smiled gently as she reassured the girl.

"Alright Miomi-chan! Take me with you so I can help your sister!"

"This way!"

The girl grabbed Orihime's wrist as she quickly led the way. Having dropped her school bag on the ground, she had no time to pick it back up as she followed the girl. If anything else was more important then her studies, was to save a life. She only glanced back at her scattered papers before dashing away, following the little girl, and disappearing into the evening sunset.

* * *

**A/N: Miomi. I hope you guys remember her. :)**


	19. Unspoken Feelings

**Chapter 18: Unspoken Feelings**

* * *

Where were they going?

Orihime had been following the little girl around for a while now and she had no idea where she was. The girl leading the way had stopped crying, well actually, she was now humming to herself while skipping the way back. Everytime Orihime tried to ask the girl where they were headed, she would only gleefully reply that they were almost there. Afraid that it would be rude to ask more then she already had, Orihime silently obliged and continued to follow the girl. She was sticky, dirty, and hungry. She could turn on her heel and walk away if she wanted to but she knew she couldn't. It was just a thought. The sky had grown dark now and she wasn't aware of the time.

"Here, this way!"

Orihime glanced around at her surroundings. She was entering the territory of an abandoned run down building. However, since she hadn't payed attention to where they were going, even if she wanted to go back, she would need the girl's help. Ignoring the bad feeling poking at her gut, she bit her bottom lip and ran toward the entrance where the younger girl had disappeared to.

It was awfully dark. Orihime had to squint her eyes and wait for a while till they adjusted barely enough for them to be manageable.

"Miomi-chan? Ano, where are you?"

"This way Inoue-chan!"

Huh? Did she ever mention her name?

It was unusual how her sister could have collapsed in an abandoned building. What were they doing here in the first place? Could they have been playing hide and seek until a fatal accident happened? Oh no, they better hurry.

Orihime called out to the girl once more, unable to spot her.

"Miomi-chan?"

No reply.

"Miomi-chan? Where are you?"

The air was pitch black and Orihime had a hard time locating her own fingers. She stumbled around as she tried to use her feet like a blind stick, trying to predict the obstacles in front of her. However, unfortunately, she tripped over her own foot and landed on the gruff pavement, scarping her elbows and knees. She helplessly whimpered at the pain.

"Owww..."

"So, this is that Orihime, huh?"

Orihime snapped up in the direction of the voice.

"Uhm, who is it?"

She tried her best to adjust her vision to the darkness, focusing on the five dark figures standing over her. She could hear them snickering at her. Then, the familiar voice that had brought her here spoke up.

"How dumb is she, ne?"

"By the looks of it, she's only tits and no brains."

"I can't believe she fell for something so obvious! Ne? She actually thought Miomi-chan was a little girl!"

"Stupid whore."

"Shut it you cunts. She's mine."

Oh right. She finally remembered. Ulquiorra had warned her about anyone suspiscious yet, there she was again. Heeding no caution and taking the bait like an idiot. She was a fool.

"No, Orihime-chan."

One of the dark figures shifted and kneeled to Orihime's eye level, taking her hair and twirling it around, snarling at her in a disgusted tone.

"How is it? Being Ulquiorra's little fuck toy?"

So, this was what it was all about. Orihime remained silent as the girl continued to play with her hair, tugging on it a little tighter.

"I asked you, how is it being Ulquiorra's little fuck toy?"

Orihime replied in a strong, unwavering voice.

"That is not how it is. Please, don't misunderstand."

"Don't misunderstand?"

She heard a shriek of laughter, followed by the rough pull of her hair; her face only inches away from a malicious grin.

"Don't misunderstand? Well, here. Let me tell you what."

Orihime glared back.

"Ichigo, Rukia, Chado, Ishida,"

Her grey orbs widened as she gasped.

"Karin, Yuzu,"

They shook, losing their once strong determination.

"Oh, and last but not least, Arisawa Tatsuki."

Her thin eyebrows knitted as she looked back in contortion, her eyes shaking in despair. Then, the tight grip on her hair forcefully pulled her toward as Orihime flinched. A snarling voice growled inches away from her ear.

"Don't fuck with me you cunt. Because if you do, I'm going to make your life a living hell."

She then threw Orihime onto the ground and stood over her, spitting her last threat.

"Stay the fuck away from Ulquiorra."

Having taken care of business, the Arrancar girls were ready to leave. They didn't want to cause any physical harm since she was still a piece of property to Aizen's profit. Confident that they had broken her spirit, they all turned away, ready to leave, until they were stopped dead in their tracks.

"No."

"What?"

The five groups of girls turned around to face the now standing girl, confident in her words. She dusted herself off and gazed back.

"You can't force me to stay away from him because I am not afraid of you."

That was it. Their leader ran towards the girl and lunged at her with full force. Orihime felt a blow to the face. Another one to the stomach. She was soon on the ground, taking continuous blows as the group of girls slapped her around, giggling and laughing at her pain. However, she wouldn't cry. No matter how many times they struck her down, no matter how many bones they broke, she would not back down. Injuries would heal however losing a friend would not. She coudl never endanger her friends, no matter the harm caused toward her. She would take on the blows instead because she wasn't weak. She would protect her friends just as they had always protected her.

The blows continued without mercy. Orihime could taste her own blood in her throat. How long was this going to continue for? She was nearly numb from the pain now. She was lost in her own trance, until she felt something. Her eyes widened at the sporadic pain from her heart. She screamed. Surprised, the girls abruptly came to a halt.

The pain was immense. She couldn't breathe. With every beat of her heart, it sprang with pain, traveling down her spine and into her limbs. What was this? Orihime grabbed onto her chest as she wheezed, trying to stop it with everything she could. She was going to lose her conscious if this continued. She couldn't hold on anymore, it was too much. Her vision grew foggy as her mind drifted away. And just as she was about to close her eyes, there came a large bark.

"Yo! Watcha' doin' there? Havin' some fun?"

She knew that voice.

Loly gasped as she whipped around. _Oh shit! Grimmjow!_

The man sauntered toward the girls, his grin stretching with each step, a glint of hell in his eyes.

"Yo, Loly! Watcha' got there?"

His electric blue eyes wandered over to the girl lying on the floor, barely moving. Then, an air ripping bark of laughter filled the air as he questioned the helpless girl.

"Hey there princess! Ya still alive?"

The girl slowly lifted her upper body off from the ground, grabbing onto her chest. She panted before she met the man with a stern gaze, giving him a strong nod with her beaten face.

He smirked.

"Well, then"

He turned around and grinned down at Loly, towering over the shaking girl.

"W-what the fuck do you want? I-if you touch me, Aizen is going to kill you! Stay away you fucking bast-"

Before she could say further, Grimmjow had back-handed slapped the girl across the face, sending her flying towards the wall. Shocked, the girl grabbed her face and glared back at the blue haired man, her tears welling up from the pain. Her group of followers all remained silent as they only stared, too scared to move. Grimmjow glared at the group of girls with his psychotic grin.

"Which one of ya want it next?"

They stumbled around and over each other as they desperately tried to crawl away from the man with killing intent. Loly sneered before she finally staggered away with her group of skanks.

"You'll regret this Grimmjow Jaegerjaques."

He then simply shooed her off, grinning in amusement as they scampered away. Finally, but not least, he turned to walk over to the beaten girl. He kneeled down as he took his jacket off and placed it over her shoulders.

"Man, ya got some deep highschool drama goin' on, don't ya?"

He smiled as she simply glanced away, trying to hide her face behind her hair.

"Here, let's get goin'"

He helped her up as she quietly stared at her feet, knowing her tears were going to fall over if she looked up. She felt pathetic and powerless. She was angry at herself. She was just so angry and disappointed at herself. Why was she so weak?

* * *

They were driving back to the bar. She had insisted on being dropped off back at home but her blue haired savior disagreed and sought to her medical treatment first. Over all he was already late for his shift and it was convinient since Szayel knew alot more than about cooking and calculating numbers.

Orihime tightly held onto Grimmjow's leather jacket. She wondered what would have happened if he hadn't shown up; well, probably left for dead. But, what was that sudden sporadic random course of pain near her lungs? It was unbearable at the moment. Was it something serious? She would check up on it if it happened more then once but for now, she dismissed it as a sign of distress and lack of sleep. She sighed as she leaned against the window, feeling it vibrate against her cranium.

"Ne, Grimmjow-kun"

"Yeah?"

"How did you know I was there?"

"I didn't."

She leaned off of the window and looked at the eccentric man with a questioning look.

"Well, ya know. Just doin' some small sideline business before headin' off to my shift till I heard some screamin' and shit. Thought it was a rape victim till I heard that stupid skank Loly. So, I just took a good guess 'bout it and there ya were, gettin' your ass kicked."

"Oh,"

Orihime leaned back onto the window. Grimmjow glanced at the girl and smirked.

"Tough day, eh?"

"I've had better."

Grimmjow laughed as he took a right, finally pulling into the back of the bar.

"Well, here we are. Go on ahead since I gotta make a quick call, and make sure ya don't get beat up or somethin' again Princess."

Orihime frowned. The bright blue haired man winked in return before turning away and answering his phone. She had a horrible night and if anything, anything at all, she did not want to come across that pale face again; at least not for tonight.

Orihime sighed and reluctantly entered the bar, grasping onto Grimmjow's jacket for the little comfort she could muster.

* * *

Szayel had been busy checking off his list of VIP customers, escorting each client to their desired host men. He had been busy without a second of rest and the customers continued to pour in. However, as exhausted he was, he enjoyed his job. Not about the fact that there were many dark factors behind the flamboyant scenes, but just the fact that he was free to do his own research with the large financial support.

Just as the never ending chime of the doorbell had slowed down, Szayel caught his breath and sat himself down in front of the cashier. He was getting too old for this.

_Ding_

Szayel quickly stood up and bowed to the new customer.

"Welcome. How may I be of your service this evening?"

"..."

Receiving no answer, he presumed she must have been new. He glanced up at the new client and gapsed, his eyes growing wide.

"Inoue-san?"

She looked like she had survived the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Her hair was tangled and her clothes were dirty. Her knees were scarped with a trial of dry blood riding down her stockings. Her face had been beaten badly, bruises around her eyes and lips, blood splattered over her shirt and clotted around her forehead. And yet, despite her condition, she smiled back.

"Ah, good evening Szayel-kun. I'm really sorry to bother you but, ano, Grimmjow-kun told me to go to your care. I'm really sorry to bother you on such a busy night."

The customers whispered at the sight of the beaten girl. Szayel, shocked, remained speechless. Then, finally, he called to a different waiter and ordered him to take over, quickly pacing over to the girl.

"Welcome, Inoue-san. Here, let me tend to your injuries. Please, follow me to the back."

The girl, unable to meet his eyes, followed silently.

* * *

"Ow..."

Szayel treated her face in silence with a frown. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he decided not to ask. Whoever had done this must have held an immense grudge against the girl. Finally done tending to her last wound, he finished wrapping the bandage around her knee. He then readjusted his glasses and smiled at the quiet girl.

"Tea?"

"Ah, yes please. Thank you."

Szayel stood from his table and headed toward the stove. Silence hung in the air as he fixed her drink.

"Ano, Szayel-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Is Ulquiorra-kun here by any chance?"

The man chuckled.

"Or course he is. He is our Espada Quarto after all."

Orihime frowned as she mouthed a small 'oh.' She was going to have to get out of there as soon as possible before being spotted by those emerald pair of eyes. Szayel gently set the tea down in front of her. He then took a seat across from the girl and crossed his legs.

"Inoue-san?"

She looked up from her tea.

"Would you like to know a bit more about Ulquiorra-kun?"

Her eyes widened as she only stared back. The man gently smiled as he began.

"It was during the winter, nearly 15 years ago, when I had first met him. Aizen-sama had brought him here before this place had turned into a host bar. He had been saved from the streets on a ridiculoulsy cold and snowy night. I was 11 and he was only 9 years old. My father, who was a scholar in England, had known Aizen since college and therefore put me under his care after he had passed away."

Szayel noticed the sudden pained look in her grey orbs.

"When I came to Japan, he was the very first child who had come under Aizen's care. He came back in the same condition you are in, Inoue-san, however much worse. When we first met, he was no different as he is today. Even in his beaten, nearly painful condition, he did not cry nor show a flicker of emotion. It actually frightened me. His gaze held no purpose and he was like an empty shell. He was always detached, far away. Even though I do not know who or where that man comes from, what had happened to him fifteen years ago, I do know something for sure,"

"Eh?"

"I think you are breaking his barrier, Inoue-san."

Orihime glanced up at the man with wide eyes, and yet it was neither confusion nor fear. It was hope. Her gaze had been unsure and now they were strong. No matter how beaten she was, no matter how humiliated, she was not one to give in.

Then, the doors to the kitchen slammed open, startling both the waiter and the young girl.

"HIME-CHAN!"

A volumptuous young girl whined and jumped onto the injured girl without warning, toppling the chair and table over. Szayel quietly stepped away from the chaos. The intruder suffocated Orihime as she hugged her, wailing in agony.

"ORIHIME-CHAN! OH NO! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? I-I SAW YOU WALKING IN WITH THIS FACE AND-AND...WAHHHHHHHH"

Orihime sighed. Why was she always attacked by her fellow female peers?

"Neliel-san! It's nothing, really. I'm alright."

The girl burried her face into Orihime's chest, crying in relief.

"Who could do something so cruel?"

"It's alright. Please, don't worry Neliel-san!"

Neliel eagerly looked into the girl's swollen eyes until she had been positively reassured. Then, receiving another confident smile from her orange haired friend, she pulled away and took her frail shoulders.

"Ne hime-chan! We need to get your face treated as much as possible! Here, follow me!"

Orihime glanced over at Szayel as she stood from the chair. The man nodded before leaving to get back on duty.

"It would be no good to have you looking like that. Nel, get her cleaned up and provide her some warm clothes as well."

The bouncy girl raised her hand up into the air and saluted.

"Hai!"

Orihime then took the other girl's gentle hand and followed her to her quarters.

* * *

"Tch' what a freakin' pain in the ass, dumbass high school chicks."

With his hands folded behind his head, Grimmjow trodded down the red halls of Hueco Mundo. He couldn't believe the girl was lucky enough to cross ways with him because if she hadn't, her body would probably have ended up in the river.

Grimmjow was heading back to the main lounge in order to take his usual shift. He was already late but ah, what the hell. He never complained about drinking and fucking because, as an animal, it was all he was good for. It was what he had been taught growing up in the society of Japan. And because he never had the chance to go to school, he knew he couldn't make a decent living doing anything else. Therefore, he fucked. Well, atleast for as long as he didn't get scholiosis or some shit.

Reaching the end of the hall, Grimmjow pushed against the golden doors until he sensed an unlikeable presense behind him.

"Oops, seems like ya've spotted me, ne Grimmy-kun?"

Grimmjow growled.

"The fuck ya want, Gin?"

"My, my, my, language child."

The silver haired man smiled as he wagged his finger at Grimmjow. The man then peered at the glaring feline man, revealing his icy gaze.

"Aizen wants to have a word with ya'."

Grimmjow shifted his blue gaze toward the smiling man and remained in silence. Then, he turned on his heel and swiftly changed his direction without saying another word.

"My, my, well then, I'll be seeing ya around, Grimmy-kun."

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow!"

Orihime flinched and whined everytime Nel tried to apply something on her face. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was painful and it did not smell nice.

"Ne, Hime-chan! Look this way, here."

Orihime sighed as she turned her gaze to the left and allowed for her friend to apply the cream all over and under her eye. She could actually see a bit better as her vision had been limited from the swelling. However, eversince Nel had treated her face to the mysterious cream, her pain and swelling had dramatically vanished.

"Nel-san? What is this cream?"

"Ah! It's a special formula Szayel created. But since it was originally made to cure scars, I added a bit of different things to give it a cover up foundation effect."

"Uwah! That's amazing!"

"Yosh! All done, here look!"

Nel shoved the mirror into Orihime's face as she smiled brightly.

"Look! Your injuries are almost unnoticeable!"

Orihime took the hand mirror and gasped at the results. It was incredible how all the puffyness was gone and all that was left were the scratches below her left eye. Neliel giggled as she watched Orihime observe herself in shock.

"If you want, I can tell you the secret ingrediants!"

Orihime looked at Nel with a sparkle.

"Well, all you need to add to Szayel's original concoction is honey, green tea leaves, garlic, sunscreen, and finally some secret vanilla bar-"

BANG

They both jumped at the sudden intrusion. And as soon as Orihime realized who had intruded, her heart sank.

"Ul-Ulquiorra-kun?"

The pale man pushed Nel away as he approached the girl in an organized manner. He then took his hand out from his pocket and reached out where Orihime unconsciouly flinched. He frowned, gently taking the girl's chin and observing her from left to right. Orihime looked away, avoiding his gaze. The man remained silent as he did not show a reaction. Then, he turned on his heel and ordered the girl in a cold voice.

"Come. I'm taking you home."

However, she did not budge. She continued to stare into the ground. Aggravated, Ulquiorra approached the girl once more and forcefully took her wrist.

"Ah."

Orihime stumbled as she was dragged out of her seat and toward the man, dropping Grimmjow's jacket to the floor. Nel, who had been watching them, quickly ran over and picked up the jacket as she handed it to Orihime, worry evident in her eyes. Then they left. What was this? Neliel was dumbstruck. She had never seen that pale man in haste before, even if he tried to keep his cool, she could tell he was aggravted.

Was he, angry?

* * *

"Ulquiorra-kun, please, let go."

The man ignored her as he continued to drag her down the hall. Orihime was still angry at him and she couldn't understand what he was doing here, dragging her around like a dog on a leash. Why did he care to take her back home? He must have been busy with his clients, and what was he doing? Wasn't this a waste of his time? It was probably another one of Aizen's orders, and it infuriated her further. Orihime snapped her wrist away from the pale man's stale grip.

"I can go home alone. I am capable of that much."

The man returned silence. He then slowly turned around, submerging his hands back into his pockets. His pale lips spoke nochalant words to the huffing girl.

"You are still angry, woman?"

Orihime knitted her eyebrows and looked away.

Then, she heard him sigh.

"If I abide you to walk home alone again, you will be harmed. I will take you home...safely."

Ulquiorra pulled his hand out and handed it to the girl. She gazed back with a questioning look. His expression was unreadable, his eyes impassive, however, something was different. Orihime timidly reached out, ready to take his touch.

"My, my, my, Ulquiorra-kun! What are we doin' 'ere?"

Surprised, Orihime jerked her hand back and glanced toward the owner of the slick voice. His eyes were indistinguishable with his cynical smirk, stretching from ear to ear. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she gazed at the silver haired man. He was unreadable, just like the pale man, however his aura was different; it was vile and cunning. He wasn't someone she wanted to be acquainted with.

Ulquiorra took his hand back and submerged it back into his pocket, turning to face the leering man.

"I 'ave some client who wants yer special treatment 'onight,"

The pale man closed his eyes and gave his answer in monotone.

"Alright."

"Oh, ya know by the way, if ya want, I can drop 'er off."

"That will be unnecessary."

Ulquiorra calmly passed the smiling man. Orihime stared with wide eyes before quickly tagging along behind her escort. She had met the man's gaze for a split second before looking away and she had concluded, he was creepy.

"She's waitin' fer ya at the front. Better 'urry."

Ulquiorra's emerald eyes held onto the man's wry smile. Then, he continued in silence, leaving the man behind swinging doors. Orihime, slightly startled by such a scornful presence, unconsciously grasped onto Ulquiorra's sleeve, continously looking back in fear. Ulquiorra ignored this and ordered the girl one last time.

"Woman, I shall ask Szayel to drop you off."

Orihime stared at her feet as they entered a different hall. She didn't want to do that. She had bothered everyone enough and she felt guilty. She would rather cartwheel or run back home, if she had to. But, she knew it would be futile to disagree with the imperious man before her.

They continued to walk through the red halls until Orihime recognized a familiar patch of blue hair on the next corner.

"Yo, cuntface!"

Ulquoirra glared. He didn't have time for this.

"What the fuck is up with that stupid frown of yours? Oh, hey princess."

"Ah, good evening Grimmjow-kun. Ano,"

The girl bowed.

"Thank you for saving me, earlier. I am in your debt, Grimmjow-kun."

Grimmjow smirked.

"Nah, nah, no problem. Ain't the type to leave a hot chick like ya to get beat anyway. It'd be a total waste, ya know."

"Ano, Grimmjow-kun? Could I ask you one more favor?"

"Yeah?"

"Ano, please! Could you drop me off at a nearby train station?"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened at her remark. When had they gotten so close? Grimmjow, being the sly malicious asshole he was, grinned. Of course he noticed the change of expression in his pal the moment his big titted pet asked him for a favor; something she probably hadn't even asked Ulquiorra yet.

"Hmm, yeah sure. Why not? I gotta' go take care of somethin' else anyway so yeah. Of course I can drop ya off."

Grimmjow leered at the pale man from the corner of his eye as he continued his taunt.

"Oh, actually, I could drop ya off at yer house or somethin' if ya want. Wouldn't mind doin' that either."

"Ano, are you sure?"

"Sure, sure. No problem princess."

Orihime cheerfully smiled as she folded her hands below her bust, recieving a leacherous stare from the blue haired sardonic man. Ulquiorra eyed them in silence. What was this? Was this blue haired imbecile taunting him? He was a fool to believe that it would bother him. However, if so, then why did it irritate him? He should be perfectly glad that the annoying duty of keeping supervision of the foolish girl could be given to someone as lowly as Grimmjow. They were perfect for eachother, both stupid and reckless. Yes, he would leave it at that. Let the girl be happy and bouncy with the blue haired bulky dunce. Let them be.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes in silence before he continued on his way.

"Very well."

Then, without a moments hesitation, the pale man disappeared without looking back once. Orihime frowned. She was atleast expecting to, wait. What was she expecting? Just because the pale man had shown a mere split second of kindness to her did not conclude anything. Was it even kindness? And, leaving everything aside, she had hoped that they had gotten a little closer; however, he always proved her wrong. He was still far from her grasp, detached and alone.

Grimmjow had been quietly observing the two with his arms crossed in front of him. He couldn't believe it. His cynical smirk grew, threatening to burst into an outburst of rippling laughter. This was just too much. Ulquiorra, really? Oh my, this was just too funny.

"So, ya weren't a cuntface but a pussy. Typical."

"Huh?"

Orihime cocked her head at Grimmjow.

"Ah, nothin' Just talking to myself. So, where ya live?"

* * *

It was annoying. Something was irritating Ulquiorra and it was putting him in a sour mood. What was this strange sensation? He felt like he needed to rid of someone and make them suffer an agonizing death without reason. Ulquiorra was not one to carry out meaningless harm and this was a first. Everything was driving him over the edge. The traffic was toying with his patience, his client's whining was irritating him; just every living, breathing, moving specimen aggravated his nerves.

"So, you must be that famous Ulquiorra-kun, ne?"

Ulquiorra eyed the woman in his passenger seat. She had pulled the seat back, placing her foot on the seat, hugging it against her chest. She was tentatively trailing her fingers up from her ankle to her thighs, her heavily coated eyelashes pattering as she cooed at the pale man. She was seducing him. It would have aroused any other man, however, because he had seen and experienced too much, he found it annoying. Finally, arriving at their destination, Ulquiorra sighed and ignored the woman as he pulled out his pack.

"May I?"

The woman held out her index and middle finger in front of Ulquiorra, gesturing for a smoke. He then placed the one he had intended for himself into the woman's long fingers, reaching back into his jacket for another one. However, much to his dislike, the woman grabbed his hand from doing so and leaned in, whispering lowly.

"I heard you don't kiss?"

Ulquiorra's gaze shifted down to her glossy lips. She was leaning in, holding the cigarette off to the side. Then, much to her dismay, the pale man looked away and reached back into his jacket for his pack. Shocked, the woman remained in her pose until she finally pulled away and smirked, leaning back into her seat. She took a long drag.

"So it's true ne? That every women you've slept with, you've never kissed them."

"...It's unnecessary."

The woman laughed as she tilted her head back and gazed at the pale man.

"Well, let's atleast hope you can make up for this hole in my chest in bed. You are the fourth afterall, aren't you? I paid a lot for you, you know."

Ulquiorra closed his eyes as he turned off his engine. He then opened his door and stepped out.

"It's a duty, to satisfy the greed of sensual desire."

The curvaceous woman grinned as she lit her bud out, taking the pale man's arm.

"It's cruel, isn't it?"

* * *

What were they listenting to?

Orihime winced everytime the singer screamed at the top of his lungs on the radio. Grimmjow had turned up the volume to max and she could feel her ears bleeding. It was strange and very very loud music. It was something she would never listen to and it was odd that they considered such cocophony as music in the first place. Well, considering Grimmjow's image, it fit him perfectly. It definitely explained his character precisely. What kind of music would Ulquiorra listen to? Maybe something like Mozart or Yamaho? Orihime giggled as she imagined the pale man dancing to some random pop music.

"Yo, is it a left turn here?"

Grimmjow tuned down the volume and asked the petite girl.

"Yes! Right here!"

The headlights blared the road as Grimmjow entered the dark alleyway to the girl's house.

"Who's that?"

"Eh?"

"Look's like some boy's waitin' at yer place or somethin'."

Orihime looked up from her trance and caught bright blazing orange hair sitting in front of her gate, waiting in the cold. Grimmjow shifted his gear to park and exited his car along with the girl who had already jumped out and approached the boy.

"Inoue?"

Kurosaki-kun? What are you doing here so late?"

"Well, I was just-"

"Ah, who's this princess?"

The boy glanced over at the blue haired tall man. And who the hell was this now?

"Ano, Grimmjow Jagerjaques-kun, Kurosaki Ichigo-kun, Kurosaki Ichigo-kun, Grimmjow Jagerjaques-kun."

"Oh, a strawberry, huh?"

Ichigo clenched his teeth and balled his fists.

"This yer boyfriend, princess?"

Grimmjow pointed his finger down at the boy. Orihime blushed as she frantically waved her arms around in front of her.

"Uwahhh! No! He-He's just a childhood friend."

"Ouch, that must've hurt. So you're friend zoned, huh?"

"Shut the hell up, who the hell are you anyway?"

"Chick just told ya. Grimmjow kid, Grimm-jow."

"Are you a friend of that creepy pale faced bastard?"

"Who? Oh, you mean Ulquiorra? Nah, we ain't friends. He's just my boss's bitch."

"Then what the hell are you doing here?"

"Woah, woah, chill out berry. Ya haven't gotten laid yet, have ya? All that pent up anger, jesus crhist."

Ichigo had enough of this bastards nonsense. He had been worried about Orihime after talking to Tatsuki and all he wanted to do was check up on her. Was that so hard? And here he was again, talking to some blue freak.

The tall man barked a laugh as he turned on his heel.

"Make sure ya try harder berry, or you're gonna be stuck in that friend zone forever. Ya dun wanna be a forty year old virgin, do ya?"

Ichigo growled as he glared at the retreating man with eccentric blue hair. Amused, Grimmjow gave the snarling boy a wave of his hand before disappearing into his car, skidding away. Finally out of sight, Ichigo sighed as he turned to face his friend. She looked troubled.

"Inoue."

She didn't look at him and instead avoided his gaze, nervously playing with her skirt. She must have had a hard day.

"Uhm, well, I just came to uhm..."

What was he going to say. He didn't have anything to say. Was she goin to cry? Damn.

"Uhm...I just wanted to let you know that...we're all going out to the movies tomorrow and since you don't have a phone, I got voted to let you know."

Orihime looked up into Ichigo's gentle smile. He was lying to her.

"Ah, alright. Sure!"

She smiled back.

"Uhm, alright then. See you."

"Hai! Good night Kurosaki-kun."

"Uh, yeah. Good night Inoue."

Orihime sadly gazed at her unrequited love turn away and walk into the dead of the night, walking with the weight of the world on his shoulders. She knew, he knew.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are really appreciated. That way, I can know what you guys want or what I should incorporate into my story. Please, it is a huge help to all fanfiction authors. I had gotten 600 visitors on my last chapter but I only got 5 reviews T^T. I need to know if I'm doing good or if you guys just read and stop halfway. Anyways, thank you.**


	20. The Last Straw

**A/N: I'm baaaack! Ahhh! *dodges desks and chairs being thrown at me***

**I'm sorry T^T Please forgive my absence and I think I've run out of excuses so I will just apologize and hope you will enjoy this chapter. BTW, I wrote a YAOI oneshot on AmaixRin for you guys as an apology/easter/april fool's present. I've noticed some of you are saying the story isn't there, but it is. It's the second chapter because the first one is an announcement. Anyways, R&R's are always appreciated!**

* * *

**Chapter 19: The Last Straw**

* * *

_Knock Knock_

"You may come in."

The hinges hissed as the heavy metal door scraped against the marble floor. In walked a tall broad figure shadowed by the evening moonlight, revealing traces of static blue hair. The man mumbled as he approached his summoner.

"Yeah, heard ya called me."

"Good evening, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow leaned back and cocked his shoulder to one side as he rubbed the back of his neck in a lazy manner.

"How has your day been?"

"Shit."

Grimmjow threw his comment at the smiling man. He hated him. He hated how his auburn eyes were always twinkling with some mischievous plan. He hated how he always folded those hands in front of his face and most of all, more than anything at all, he hated that stupid piece of brown hair that hung over his face like drooping bird shit. He hated everything about the man because he knew he was powerless under Aizen's grasp. But, he would never admit that even if he had to take it up his ass for the rest of his life.

"Perhaps you could explain to me why you are late?"

"Aren't I always?"

Aizen leaned his face against his knuckles and played out his usual cynical smile, staring intently at the glaring fierce man.

"Grimmjow, why are you late?"

Grimmjow snarled. This fucker was toying with him.

"…Tch', I took care of some business and saved your little princess from some girls that were beatin' her up."

"Is that so? Would you care to identify these girls for me?"

"….."

"Grimmjow,"

"Ah-Thing is, don't really remember. They kinda scattered away like insects when I kicked one of em' in the face."

"Is that so?"

The feline man frowned and cocked his head.

"Well, I'm sure whatever the reason may be, you were doing everything in order to please me."

Grimmjow sneered and snapped his gaze toward the moonlit window. The fuck did he want him to say? 'Yes, of course your fuckin' majesty' with a fancy courtesy? Hell no was he going to roll over and play the bitch. Hell to the fuck no.

Aizen closed his eyes and gently set his pen down. Grimmjow glanced toward the solemn man and shifted. Shit. There it was again. He was doing that 'if you don't obey me I will shove my foot down your throat' thing.

Aizen spoke darkly.

"I appreciate your consideration, however, please do restrain yourself from causing unnecessary trouble next time Grimmjow."

"….."

Shit.

"...Yeah, whatever."

His gay ass fuckin' smile was finally back.

"Violence like such against high school girls would ruin our company's image if they were to find out you are acknowledged within our industry."

"Tch', whatever."

With that, Grimmjow turned on his heel and walked away, slapping his slippers against the marble floor.

"You may be excused."

He ignored Aizen's calm dismissal and roughly pushed against the heavy golden doors. Aizen remained silent with his smile as his eyes sparkled.

"Gin."

"Aw, how come I ain't ever good at hidin'?"

"Good evening, Gin. May I ask what brings your presence here tonight?"

The silver moon illuminated gentle shadows in the room as the silver haired man remained casually still, letting the silence speak for him. Then, his ever creepy smile stretched wider as ripe red eyes peered from behind his leer.

"Ne, I wonder. If I were to turn into a snake tomorrow and began devouring humans, and from that same mouth I devoured humans, I cried out, "I love you," would I still be able to say "I love you," the same way I had done before?"

The fox like man turned away and lightly touched the golden doorknob, insinuating his departure. He then slightly cocked his head back to glance at Aizen with a lustrous smile.

"It's simple."

"Why?"

"Happiness."

"Ah, I should have guessed."

The moonlight lit the cold silence as Aizen visibly hid his grin behind his folded hands. Without another word, Gin disappeared with a minute click of the door. He could already hear the shrilling laughter resonating within his head.

* * *

Click

So, he knew?

Ichigo knew more or less and it had gotten very complicated. He probably realized she was hiding something from everyone yet he wasn't someone to openly ask about it either. She felt slightly glad he was as careful as he was because it was what she loved about him the most. She loved how gentle and caring he was, how caring he was for his friends, his family, and even strangers. She loved him. She still truly did love Ichigo but why did she not feel as guilty as before? She actually felt guilty about the relief rather than the lie itself. She still loved him more than anyone else so why? I mean, didn't she?

The girl furrowed her light eyebrows and contorted her face at the pang of pain at her own question.

It was strange because the way she felt about Ichigo was the same way she began to feel toward her daunting captive. It was still a very different sensation but the pain in her chest and the slight sense for longing was still there. What was this emotion? She was horribly confused. Every time they would lock eyes, her heart would beat at an enormous rate, her head grew dazed and her face would flush. Every time he made contact with her, she could feel a twang of an electric pulse, sending her stomach butterflies and her heart to flutter. Despite all of his snide, cold, daunting, comments, she felt as if she could sense his lies, she felt as if she could break through, as if she could _reach _him.

_Wait a minute_.

Orihime gasped.

Did she, love him?

Orihime's contorted expression found no reason to unfold as she quietly sat herself down next to the black portrait of a smiling man.

"Ne, onii-san."

She smiled lightly and leaned her head against the wall, letting her hair fall over her face, whispering over her parted yet silent lips. She blankly gazed at the burning incense ghosting into the air.

"...I think I may have fallen for the wrong person."

The burning smoke danced into the still air before vanishing, leaving behind no trace of its existence other than the fallen ashes, pilling at the bottom.

"He's very mean. Funny ne? He is never kind to me, he speaks ill about my friends, he always bullies me, he doesn't care for me either…"

The burning ash momentarily hissed as it quietly fell to the silver tray.

"But for some reason, without my consent and notice, I think I've begun to care for him deeply. I know what you would tell me if you were here."

Orihime giggled as she imagined her older brother angrily scold her.

"Ne, onii-san? If I were the rain, just as it can connect the eternally separated earth and sky, could I connect with one's heart?"

The burning disappeared as the incense had finally met it's end, dying in its own ashes, whispering the last bit of its life.

"I miss you brother."

Orihime quietly buried her face into her knees and hugged herself tightly. Was her house always this lonely? The night grew old as it drew on with the silence, the air growing colder, resonating dark clouds passing the lonely moon; always shining the brightest, yet forever damned in its own isolation of beauty.

* * *

_Splash_

_The summer breeze warmly blew across the land, taking the white flower pollen back into the air and whirling it around like snow. Laughter filled the child's lungs as he dashed into the water, splashing through the ocean, sprinkling water droplets like diamonds with every kick._

"_Come here."_

_It was such a gentle voice, such gentle hands, such caring words, such loving gestures._

_The child frowned as the mother forced him to stay still, gently pecking dabs of sunscreen onto his forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin. She smiled brightly at her child's pout, rubbing in the lotion, admiring his offensive frown. When she was done, she turned her face to the side and pointed to her cheek._

"_I want the usual."_

_Emerald eyes widened as the young boy gasped and stared into the ground, burying his toes into the golden sand. _

"_I'm still waiting Ulqui-"_

_Before she could finish, the young boy quickly pecked his mother on the cheek and ran away, exaggeratedly wiping his mouth on his sleeve with the occasional regurgitating sound effect. The mother gasped at her son's reaction and put her hand over her mouth, emphasizing her offense. She quickly stood up and raced after her child._

"_How dare you wipe that off! Come here! I'm going to give you a thousand more!"_

"_!"_

_Shrieks of laughter echoed across the golden bay, synching in tune with the soft splashing of the afternoon waves._

* * *

_Beep Beep Beep_

Emerald eyes slowly opened as they heavily gazed toward the blinking alarm clock.

5:00 A.M.

Covers shifted as Ulquiorra softly raised his exhausted body off from the bed and glanced around the shadowed musky hotel room. His shoulders were sore and nothing was refreshing as he awoke to the empty twang of disgust boiling deep within his gut.

Why was he dreaming about his childhood? It had been years since he had dreamed at all and out of all the possibilities, why such an unpleasant one?

Ulquiorra quietly put his shirt back on and stared at his shuffling client, ready to take his leave.

"Leaving so soon?"

"My job is done."

The woman lay silently on her side and smiled sheepishly at the frowning man. Ulquiorra ignored her indignant beaming and finished dressing himself, ready to leave the bleakly lit hotel room.

"You know-"

Ulquiorra halted at his client's words.

"I think you've changed."

Silence remained in the air as Ulquiorra continued to keep his back to his client, his hand remaining on the door knob.

"May it be the cause of a woman?"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened as orange hair flickered through his mind. What was this woman talking about? Had everyone around him turned into complete idiots? What was with this strange epidemic of everyone questioning about his unusual behavior? He didn't comprehend. He saw and thought nothing differently and yet what did she mean? Why was everything related back to that woman?

"…."

"I wonder what kind of woman she is."

"I'm leaving. Your assumptions are disgraceful."

The cunning woman gracefully chuckled at Ulquiorra's snide remark, amused by his offensive reaction.

"I will be leaving now."

And with a swift click of the door, Ulquiorra left, leaving his voluptuous client behind in a tangle of crimson sheets. The woman continued to chuckle, lighting a cigarette next to the nightstand, lying back down.

_How interesting. How very interesting. _

Her chuckling soon grew into a full hearted uncontrollable laughter as she grabbed onto her sides, rolling around on the bed.

_I see. I see._

Droplets of tears stained the crimson sheets with trembling lips.

"….."

_You are a cruel man, Ulquiorra_.

* * *

It was too bright. It was too bright and noisy for Ulquiorra to function this early in the morning. He usually slept a little longer after serving his clients but he couldn't get much sleep particularly last night. He didn't know why but everything irritated him. Ever since he had to witness that orange ditzy blockhead tag along side by side with that imbecile Grimmjow last night, he was irritated. He was never one to be bothered by anyone else unless they interfered with his work and his reason behind his current annoyance was far beyond comprehension. He should be glad that she wasn't a part of his hours yesterday. He should be calm and composed that Grimmjow took her off of his hands and yet why? Furthermore, of all the human trash existing in the population of Shinjuku, why was that woman behind his every reason?

Ulquiorra stared darkly at a passing group of giggly high school girls, scaring them away. Something was wrong with him. That woman was getting to him and it was no good. He needed to get his job done quickly. He would probably be back to his old normal composed and indifferent self as soon as he could get rid of that woman from his sight. Aizen-sama was probably at his limit as well and no more time should be wasted. He would finish her off as swiftly and as quickly as possible.

_Ring- Ring-_

Ulquiorra glanced at his ringing phone and stared before answering coldly.

"What do you want."

"Someone sounds pissed."

"I don't have time for your foolish babble."

"Yeah, yeah, where ya at?"

"What do you want Grimmjow."

Ulquiorra spoke flatly.

"Damn cunt. Fine I'll tell ya what ya need to know and get the fuck off the phone. Well, not much but I think I've found out some important info on Nnoitora and those two high school chicks that hurt your girl, Orihi-"

"It is not of my concern."

"-?"

"I'm hanging up."

"Wait, the fuck do ya mean?"

"Her safety is none of my concern. My only orders are to continue on with her 'training' and I will finish her off today. Do not report to me anymore of this useless information."

_Click-_

Ulquiorra nonchalantly hung up his phone and swiftly turned on his heel. That was correct. He was going to get it done and that was that. He wasn't going to babysit her anymore or deal with anymore of her immature whining. He was going to stop this absurd nonsense from existing any longer in his head. He quietly turned his phone off and headed down the next street, toward the woman's house.

* * *

"Thank you for your cooperation."

"I hope you will have the payment ready by then, Aizen."

"Yes I will. I have retrieved quite a pearl, untainted and simply beautiful."

"How can you promise that?"

"She will be trained but remain untouched. You will have yourself quite a treasure. No one will be able to trace back to her, she will simply vanish."

"You have until the winter Aizen, time is running out."

"Goodbye Mr. Ganzhina"

_Click_

The black leather chair squeaked and whined as Aizen sat his weight on top, quietly crossing his legs in front of him. The ominous man silently gazed out of his office window, slightly squinted his eyes at the unwelcome morning brightness.

_Untainted and beautiful, just like the morning sun._

He watched as the auburn leaves shivered in the crisp fall air, threatening to fall off. He watched as they continued to cling onto the branches, almost weeping at their approaching farewell.

_The sun can never connect with the stars._

He wanted to crush them, crush them to dust in between his very own fingers and watch its shattered pieces miserably vanish with the wind.

* * *

_Where am I?_

All she could see amongst the foggy whiteness was complete emptiness. Her footsteps echoed with exaggeration as she forced herself to walk. There was no way up, no way down, no way right, no way left. She was stuck in a world without direction, without day or night, without war or peace, without conflict or unity, without sadness or happiness. All that could be sensed was the never ending void.

_How did I get here?_

She continued to walk forward, up, down, left, right; a world nonexistent of gravity. She was lost. She was lost body and soul. She could feel herself drowning. Her heart was painfully drowning in pain and yet she had no idea why. She could feel the overwhelming loneliness consume her soul and watched in tears as her world grew pitch black. She needed to run. She needed to run as fast as she could. She panicked at the darkness closing in on her and ran with all her might. She ran and ran, closing her eyes, unaware of the direction she was headed. Fear shadowed over her as it threatened to consume her in seconds until a blast of air breezed through her cluttered soul.

The scenery was breath taking. She could smell the fresh salt water and hear the gentle splashing of waves. She could feel the warm summer breeze tickle her skin as the sun welcomed her with a tender smile.

Strong arms gently embraced her from behind as she stood facing the vividly blue ocean. They quietly held her as the unknown man nuzzled his face into the nape of her neck. She warmly smiled and placed her hand over his arms, gently caressing him with her thumb. They stood in silence without exchanging any words as she continued to twirl a silver bracelet around her wrist. It was such a familiar yet alien heartwarming sensation; almost nostalgic. And yet there was a lingering twinge of unbearable pain, weighing her heart down to the pits of her stomach.

And yet, despite her heart wrenching agony of an unexplainable grief, she bravely turned around to face the man, leaning in for a passionate deep kiss-

_Ding dong_

Large ashen orbs shot open in panic.

Eh?-

Orihime blinked with wide eyes, adjusting to the quiet white walls of her house. Confused, she gazed over at her clock and made certain of it to be only half pat five in the morning. She glanced over at her door from her bed and waited in silence, wondering if she had misheard her doorbell.

The ticking of her wall clock stirred the silence for a while until she finally heard another ring of the doorbell.

_Ding dong_

Confused and slightly reluctant to open the door, she dragged her covers off and took cautious steps toward her door.

_Ding dong_

Orihime gently called out.

"Ano, who is it?"

Receiving no answer, she decided to peak out her door first, just in case it wasn't her land lady or friendly neighbor. Slightly fearful yet ridiculing her own paranoia, Orihime unlocked her front door and slowly opened the heavy frame.

"Eh!? Ulquiorra-kun?"

Ulquiorra forced his way in, ignoring Orihime's shock, silently closing the door behind him.

"What are you doing here Ulquiorra-kun? Shouldn't you be at home?"

_Click_

Ulquiorra wordlessly locked her front door.

"Ul-Ulquiorra-kun?"

Stern emerald eyes locked with shaking grey orbs.

"W-What are you-"

"I have had enough."

"Wha-"

"Your time is up. Woman."

* * *

**Alright. My story is going to massively pick up pace now. Please be tuned!**


	21. Flooding Secrets

**Chapter 20: Flooding Secrets**

* * *

"Ul-Ulquiorra-kun?"

With wide eyes, Orihime stared into casually blank eyes, too stunned for words at his sudden intrusion.

"What are you doing here this early for?"

Ulquiorra didn't bother with Orihime's worried confusion and stated coldly, nor a flicker of emotion or life in his voice.

"Strip, woman."

She stood there, debating whether to laugh at his ridiculous comment and give him a good slap on the back or spring her leg up into the air and blow him a drop kick right into the face; atleast she could imagine to do so, like in those heroic action movies. Oh no. She was getting carried away with her imagination again. It wasn't the time for that.

"Ano..."

She was scared. She was scared to her core because for one, she knew Ulquiorra did not crack jokes; nevertheless, even smile. It was a demand, an order. But, why now? Why here? Why was it going to happen now? Why did it have to be at her house in front of her brother's portrait? Was it really necessary after she had been senselessly beat, leaving her with black and blue bruises all over her body? After she had finally managed to warm up to her captive? After she had finally and reluctantly realized her feelings for him?

Oh yeah.

He didn't care. He was probably sick of having her around him any longer. Everything was for the sake of orders from the beginning any way. He was going to take her virginity and it was for the sake of his orders. Come to think of it, he had never even once referred to her as her name, just woman. So that was what he meant by saying that her time was up. I mean, wasn't this his main reason for having to stay with her in the first place?

Emerald eyes stuck to the top of Orihime's head as she lowered her head, hiding her dark expression.

What in the world was she expecting? A gentle smile and caresses of 'I love you's' from the man before her? She might as well wish to sprout wings tomorrow and fly away to wonderland with an army of pokemonsters.

Wordlessly, she brought her fingers up to the first button of her shrit. Her fingers trembled as she struggled to unbutton her first one, keeping her gaze glued to the ground. Ulquiorra stared intently, it was humiliating and daunting at how calm and impassive he seemed. Finally, plucking the last one free, Orihime slided her white shirt over her shoulders, revealing her bruised top naked half. She waited for the next flat tone of order until, much to her surprise, pale cold hands reached out and pulled her shirt back over her frame.

"?"

She looked up at the man, unsure of what to do with his contradicting actions. And for a slight flicker of a second, his expression faltered as he quietly pulled Orihime's shirt back into place. And before any more could be questioned or said, he turned on his heel and grasped her doorknob.

"Woman...I will no longer be in charge of you."

A click of the door and he was gone.

Orihime dropped to the floor as her knees gave out. It was as if something that had been tightly bundled up inside of her had finally burst. She let her tears uncontrollably out as she cried worth her all, almost angry at the dejection she continued to hopefully feed herself.

* * *

"Shit!"

Holding her cellphone up to her face and staring at her reflection, Loly hissed as she dabbed and poked at her wound.

Her gang of delliquent friends sat side by side, perched up on the red stools of a McDonald's resturant. They loudly squabbled and hissed at each other like a snobby group of viscious snakes, either deliberatley fixing their dark makeup or busy snarling at each other's faces. Suddenly, one of Loly's followers took Loly's shoulder by surprise and uncomfortably shook it.

"What the fuck! What the hell do you think you're do-"

"Look!"

Taking in her word and alarmed expression, Loly glanced outside the window and into the bustling morning crowd, spotting a blotch of pitch black hair and pale white skin.

"Ulquiorra?"

Her eyes widened at the spot of her obsessive desire, surprised to see his presence walking in the daylight. Then it hit her. Her wide eyes of confusion turned into an angry and nasty scowl.

"That bitch. I won't fucking forgive that whore."

Her eyes followed the man until he shortly disappeared into a different alleyway.

"Call Nnoitora."

Loly abruptly took the phone from her friend after hearing the first signal ring, shortly followed with a nasally answer from the other end.

"I want you to end it tomorrow."

* * *

"You may come in."

An organized echo of footsteps filled Aizen's solemly peaceful office as Ulquiorra entered nonchalantly.

"Good morning Ulquiorra. What a pleasant surprise."

Ulquiorra kneeled before Aizen, bowing in loyalty, before raising his head to gaze back at his master.

"And what may bring you here this early in the morning?"

"Aizen-sama,"

Aizen put his pen down and crossed his hands in front of his face, giving his surbordinate his full attention.

"Yes?"

"I wish to inquire your permission to stop my personal contact with this girl you have assigned me with."

Silence filled the grim room as Aizen unfolded his hands and crossed his legs. Taking in the silence as a notion for a better explanation, Ulquiorra continued.

"I am unnfit to take this position any longer."

"Why is that?"

"I am no longer capable to carry out your order regarding sexual contact."

Aizen's face flickered with excitement.

"You have not fulfilled your duty?"

A slight pause was present in the air before Ulquiorra blatantly answered.

"I have not."

"Ah, is that so? How peculiar."

Ulquiorra kept his silence, waiting for Aizen's next words of calamity.

"Well, I see no other choice but to do as you ask, however, it does not matter any longer."

Ulquiorra slightly narrowed his eyes at Aizen's words and glanced up to meet a steady chocolate gaze.

"Actually, I was about to summon you later today, Ulquiorra. I could do as you ask me to do and change her current escort however, that would be a problem in itself. Contrary to your first orders, I need you to keep an eye on her and continue to do as you have been doing. I actually don't think it is necessary to have to force her into any 'training' whilst it becoem too much of a problem for our industry. Besides, it was a small matter of amount of money to begin with."

Ulquiorra calmly breathed in Aizen's sudden change of command. It was strange and something was out of place. Perhaps he had expected Aizen-sama to punish him for being incapable of carrying out simple orders and failing for the first time. It was ironic, almost laughable. All he had to do was what he had been doing for his entire life and yet he could not come to lay his hands on the girl. He denied it at first, convincing his pride that it was merely a turn of his better judgement, influenced by stupidity, and yet, when he tried, he found it leaving a rather bitter taste in his gut.

"If that is so, I believe I have more of a reason to decline the role as her babysitter any longer. My deepest apologies, however, I decline the offer Aizen-sama."

"Hmm..."

Aizen drummed his fingers on his wooden desk, quietly humming to himself in mocking wonder.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra glanced back at Aizen, slightly stunned.

"You have already disobeyed my orderes, which I shall excuse for I am convinced you have your own important reasons however, I can not let you excuse this one, Ulquiorra. You see, the problem with that is not that I can not assign her to another man but after I do assign her to someone else. Ulquiorra, you do realize she is a rather fragile and attractive young lady, correct?"

"..."

"It would be no trouble to assign her to a female either, however, I don't think anyone is as suitable as you are, regarding the fact that she is your responsibility. I presume she is already attached to you?"

Ulquiorra fixed his gaze at the grinning man, bewildered at Aizen's assumption, failing to retort with a quick answer. Attached? What did he mean by using such a word in such context? That she was 'attached' as in was familiar with him such as her friends? Nonsense, he wouldn't allow her to think of him so lightly. It wasn't possible that she was 'attached' to him and neither was he.

"Ulquiorra, humans are truly magnificent creatures, don't you agree?"

Aizen twirled his pen around in bland amusement.

"Anger, resentment, revenge, spite, agony, grief, hatred, rage, insanity, are the true natures of us all and yet, we contradict our very existence in search of pure and honest things."

The morning rays shyly invaded inbetween the pulled blinds, blazing the floor brightly in horizontal streaks of gold.

"And yet, despite our true evil nature, we long to recieve the opposite, hungering for more in hopes of encasing our beings to turn righteous and pure. And yet, once we do have that single taste of innocence, we crave for more, corrupting the pure with greed, soon infecting it as a part of our evil nature. It is a viscious cycle, without bounds; infinite."

He dropped his pen down and brought back his cunning disdain feature.

"It is only a brief moment of confusion, Ulquiorra. The cycle will continue."

* * *

"Orihime!"

Orihime snapped her attention toward the call of her name and smiled brightly as she waved at the sight of her dearest group of friends. Tatsuki, Ichigo, Ishida, Chad, and Rukia all happily appeared in front of her and surrounded themselves with their chatter.

"Inoue-san! How have you been?"

"Good morning Orihime-chan."

"Inoue!"

Tatsuki glomped her friend and happily erupted a squeal by squeezing her by the shoulders.

"I'm so happy you could make it! It's been a while since we all really got together to hang out again you know."

"Thank you for inviting me!"

"Ah? I thought you invited us, cause Ichigo called me yes-"

Flabbergasted, Ichigo took Tatsuki by the neck and knuzzled her hair, cutting her off from finishing her statement.

"Yo! Inoue!"

Orihime met Ichigo's gentle smile with wide eyes and blushed as she looked away. Oh no. She couldn't meet his eyes. The self conscious guilt was poking at her insides, making it difficult to look at him the same way.

"Well, shall we start heading over now?"

"What time is the movie Ishida?"

"Soon."

"Dumbass, I know that. Tell me the time."

"A couple minutes."

"I'm going to hurt you."

Tatsuki playfully growled as she left Orihime's side and tackled Ishida, swinging her arm over his frail body, initiating a fight.

Orihime watched with a faint smile at how well her friends had seemed to be getting along. Just like this, it was so nice. Everyone was happy and that was enough to make her happy as well. She remembered the threat that the Arrancar high school girl and Aizen had given her about harming her friends and yet, just like this, it all seemed like a lie.

"Hey."

Startled at the sudden close voice, she snapped back from her train of thoughts and glanced up at Ichigo. He wasn't making eye contact with her and just continued to casually walk alongside her and behind their group of friends. He had stuffed both his hands into his back pockets, boring his gaze straight ahead of him.

"Sorry if I troubled you."

"Eh?"

"Well, I told you that they sent me to invite you to a movie but truthfully I was just slightly worried so I had to make up an excuse to go see you last night."

Orihime looked away and stared at the ground, folding her trembling hands in front of her.

"Sorry I lied to you about it."

Her heart dropped.

"I-It's alright. Thank you so much for your kindness, Kurosaki-kun."

Crimson immediatly flushed over Ichigo's face as he jumped at her comment and awkwardly shrugged his shoulders, averting his gaze.

"Oh, uhm. No problem."

"Yo! What are you guys doing back there?!"

"Ah, sorry!"

Ichigo quickly glanced over at Orihime before notioning her to hurry and ran toward Tatsuki and the bustling group of close nit friends. Orihime watched as Tatsuki and Ichigo began to playfully mess around with each other, throwing insults here and there.

She painfully gripped her skirt as Ichigo's apology echoed in her head. She wasn't going to make it. This was too much. She wasn't strong enough. She couldn't do it anymore. She was just a horrible, despicable, ignorant, whiny, troubleso-

"Hey!"

Orihime snapped back in shock at the contact of her friend strongly taking her hand.

"Come on! We're all waiting for you."

Tatsuki smiled gleefully as she rougly nudged her foward. Startled, Orihime looked at her friend with a dumbfounded expression.

"Geez, you were dazing off again, weren't you? Hurry up! The movie's starting in a couple of minutes."

And for once, she could feel her friend's gentle smile melt away all of her deepest worries.

"Hai!"

* * *

"Aizen!"

Two golden doors slammed open as a skinny girl in two even ponytails angrily barged into the reserved office. She snarled as she slammed her scrawny arm down against Aizen's wooden desk, spitting at him vile words of anger.

"Where the hell is Ulquiorra?"

Aizen simply set his pen back down and rubbed his temples, clearly irritated yet too distressed to deal with his whiney intruder, Loly.

"He is doing what he has to."

"What? Fucking that other girl with those huge tits?"

Aizen pulled his chair back and leaned against it as he carefully eyed the growling girl in her skimpy high school uniform, an air of delight lingering about him.

"Loly,"

She snapped back at him.

"What!"

"Do you desire to keep Ulquiorra to yourself or are you simply as absurd and ignorant as you successfully make yourself to be?"

Loly stood back straight and cocked her hip to the side as she put her hand on it, giving Aizen a questioning look.

"Even if I did 'sell' Ulquiorra to you, you wouldn't be able to pay and despite selling him to you as a product in the first place, I don't believe you would appeal to him even on a personal level. You are nothing to him as life is nothing to him. Your spark of greed has no meaning, just like his existence without his flambouyant host life. And yet, you are confident in making him 'your's'?"

Loly lowered her glare and stated darkly.

"I don't fucking care."

"Oh and Loly,"

Loly whipped her hair back and crossed her arms.

"I will not allow you to bring any more trouble to my business, Loly."

"The fuck are you talking about? I haven't caused any trouble!"

"Loly,"

Aizen ignored her side remark.

"You will not touch Orihime again. She is a precious jewel that must be left untainted and innocent as she is."

Loly's face twitched in disgust at Aizen's last statement. She was enraged. Why the hell was that ditzy looking whore bag so important? Wait a minute, he said pure about her right? Could that mean that she was a virgin? Was this what it was all about? Was this why she was protected by Ulquiorra in the first place while working under Aizen? Oh wow, what a surprise. Everything was actually going her way for the first time.

Loly smiled as she flipped her ponytail back behind her shoulder, brightly turning on her heel.

"Okay, whatever. I give up. Bye."

Aizen finally sighed in silence as he watched her happily skip her way out. Loly pushed against the doors, giggling to herself as her plan had basically moved itself foward.

This was going to be too fucking easy.

* * *

"Alright, see you guys later!"

Ichigo briefly waved his hand at his friends as he made his leave from the group and home. He wanted to offer to walk Inoue home but he couldn't muster up the courage to do so under the current circumstances. He knew how she must be feeling, hiding something from them but as much as he wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her till she spilled it all out, he couldn't. Well, actually he could but he wouldn't. He was afraid of what he might had to hear.

Ichigo kicked at the ground as he submerged his hands into his coat pockets, shivering at the chilly air. It was nearing the end of October already, the trees shedding another layer of it's summer behind. It was already dark as the city had come to its usual sparkling glamorized night life.

Ichigo bundled his shoulders up to his neck as a sharp icy wind ripped through his body. He couldn't believe girls would still dress up in such short and revealing clothes just for the party life, it was beyond his comprehension. He quickly trodded down an alley of bright red and pink lights bouncing off of the cement, realizing he was now in the love hotel district. He blushed as he burried his face deeper into the collar of his winter jacket. Damn, he should have tooken the long way.

It wasn't that he was embarrassed or anything. He was definitely a mature full grown seventeen year old man and there was no mistaking that. It was just something he wasn't comfortable with, yet.

Ichigo suddenly grew a tad bit self conscious as he stared holes into the ground as lovey dovey couples giggled and held onto their partners, shamelessly walking into hotels and showing public displays of affection. Ichigo quietly grunted to himself, until at last, he could see the end of the street. He quietly sighed in relief and picked up his pace, concentrating on escaping the block.

"Ulquiorra! Wait for me!"

_Huh?_

Ichigo stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, hoping he had heard wrong. There was only one name that he knew that had such a strange ring to it and that was Orihime's boyfriend. And despite his longing to see someone despite the one he knew, there he was; that pitch black hair, ghastly pale skin, and piercing green eyes.

"Ulquiorra! I want some sake~ne?"

Ichigo watched in mortified shock, speechless, as the man who was supposed to be Orihime's boyfriend and a flirtatious woman with short fiery red hair walked toward a love hotel. He gaped in comic shock and stood still as time had stopped and dropped his heart into his stomach.

"? Ulquiorra~What are you looking at?"

And there he stood, staring straight at Ichigo before coldly breaking eye contact and silently continuing on, as if he had seen nothing. Ichigo's mind went blank as his face contorted into raw disgust, lost in the late night bustling crowd of the prosperous city.

What the fuck was he supposed to do now?

* * *

**A/N: Oh no. Ichigo has seen Ulquiorra with another woman and doesn't know that he is still working as a host! What will happen to Orihime and Ichigo? What will Ulquiorra do? And what the hell is Loly planning? **


	22. Desperate Complications

**A/N: Hello I just wanted to thank those who continuously support this story and leave me really great reviews. I really appreciate it since it inspires me to write better chapters. Just in case you guys didn't know, I've written a short yaoi oneshot on Amaimon and Rin. If you guys want to check it out go ahead and reviews are always appreciated of course! **

**Anyways, do enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Desperate Complications**

* * *

The chilly winter breeze swirled around the park and fluttered Ichigo's messy locks, sending shivers up and down his body. He sat on the decayed swings of a dead playground, concentrating on digging holes into the brittle sand. He checked his watch and read it near ten in the evening, frowning at the thought of his worried sister's expression. He sat in the hushed silence, wearily swinging his body back and forth, attentive to the whining sound of rusty metal reluctantly rubbing against each other.

He sighed.

He didn't know where to begin his thoughts. He didn't know whether to be shocked or disappointed. Nothing made sense. He was sure Orihime had told them that Ulquiorra had quit being a host and just worked hours with her at the bar, but then why was he with another woman? Was he cheating on her? Well, that would explain a lot of things but his reaction was what bothered him. He didn't even bat an eyelash at being 'caught.' Was she just being played? But then again, there was the possibility that he hadn't quit his job and Orihime could have just accepted it. Maybe that was why she had tried to keep him hidden from everyone? But that wasn't a boyfriend, just merely an escort. Was he holding her captive against her own will? But, then again, they seemed too familiar and acquainted with each other to call Orihime a captive.

"Ugh!"

Ichigo ruffled his hair and furrowed his thin eyebrows in frustration. Nothing made sense. He felt guilty for doing nothing and yet he was afraid to do anything at all. He didn't want to hurt her since more than anything, he wanted to protect her. Yet, doing nothing or rushing in without knowing any of the details would probably be the quickest way to bring harm her way.

Dammit!

Ichigo pulled his cellphone out and snapped it open, scrolling through his contact list. Maybe something could help him, anyone. Then, a small helpful idea sprung to life as Ichigo's eyes grazed over a random phone number on the bright cellphone screen. He quickly dialed it into his number pad and waited silently.

A high pitched bubbly voice answered in a matter of seconds.

"Rangiku-san?"

* * *

Oomph.

Orihime plopped herself onto her bed and heaved out an exhausted sigh. She stayed still, breathing in the fresh scent of her sheets, having dried them out recently.

What was she doing?

She rolled herself over and stared into the white ceiling of her apartment, sinking herself in exhaustion, bathing in the ticking of every second of time.

Everything was just a mess. She wasn't sure what would happen next. It was as if she was like riding the world's scariest roller-coaster while she was blind folded. She wasn't prepared for all the dangers thrown at her but at the very least, she knew it would eventually hit her. Her life had turned upside down ever since she had run into that daunting man, only making life harder than it was supposed to be. She couldn't say she hadn't yearned for revenge against her dear friend Rangiku for leaving her behind at the bar that one fateful evening. But then again, she believed that everything happened for a reason and even though she did not know why things were happening as they were, but she would knew she would eventually find out. Even if she would be left all alone without anyone by her side, she would continue to sacrifice her all for the sake of her friends. Even if she had to do so without him by her side any longer, she had already promised herself to fearlessly salute and charge on.

Orihime buried the side of her face into her shoulder as she silently sighed away all of her painstaking worries bundled up inside of her. She had tried everything in her power to make things right with him, tried everything to convince him about the importance of feelings, friends, and relationships; to try and _reach_ him. Maybe she just wasn't good enough after all.

_Ding Dong_

Orihime laid silently still as she heard her doorbell ring. Her heart began to flutter as a pair of cold emerald eyes flashed through her mind. She silently waited in her bed, fearing she may be imaging things once again.

_Ding Dong_

Orihime's ashen eye flickered back to life as he quickly rolled herself off and stood on her feet, meeting the cold wooden floor.

Could it be?

She tip-toed her way, fearing that the slightest creak of disturbance would confirm her worries that everything was just a figment of her wild imagination. Reaching her door, she stopped her breathing, feeling the pounding of her frail organ going berserk. She breathed out a final sigh and opened her door without further hesitation, ready to meet those piercing green eyes.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

In less than a split second, before she could retort, he had dragged her into his arms.

"Ku-Kurosaki-kun?!"

She squealed at the sudden forceful impulsive action, never in the world of her dreams expecting her long unrequited love to embrace her. Her orbs shook with shock, stunned and confused beyond words to comprehend anything of her surroundings.

"Inoue."

Coming back to a bit of her disheveled senses, she pulled her frail arms in front of her and pushed against his bold chest, trying to push him away.

"K-Kurosaki-kun! Please let go!"

"No."

"Eh?"

"I'm not letting you go. I'm never letting you go again. I will protect you, Inoue."

"Kuro-"

He roughly pulled her away in arm's length and grasped her by the shoulders, his fierce gaze staring directly into hers.

"I love you, Inoue."

"….eh?"

* * *

The light was too bright. He had made sure to buy thick curtains for his balcony window in order to prevent any traces of stray sunlight from entering his apartment even during daylight however; unfortunately, his extremely bright apartment lights did no good.

Ulquiorra entered his apartment and clicked the lights back off as soon as he had turned them on. The brightness gave him a headache and since he was going to rest anyway, he decided to keep them off. He quietly set his keys down and walked toward his curtains, pulling them open in order to let the dim moon and city lights illuminate his pitch black house.

Today he had ended work earlier than expected, allowing him to return home before the morning sun was high in the air. Ulquiorra sighed and closed his eyes as he loosened his tie and slid his black jacket off. He headed towards his bed as he laid his clothes down on the edge of the sofa, soon quietly laying himself down on top of his white sheets. He covered his eyes as he brought his arm over his head, exhausted and physically drained to the core. It was the first time he had been caught off guard like that and even though he was able to lay it off like his usually egotistical self, it still managed to leave him dumbfounded.

Ulquiorra knit his eyebrows faintly together as he closed his eyes and relived the unpredicted moment a couple hours ago.

"_Welcome back, Ulquiorra."_

_With both hands deeply submerged into his black coat pocket, Ulquiorra entered the store with his usual stoic air about him. His piercing bright jade eyes glanced over at the man who greeted him casually as he busily jabbed numbers into his small electronic calculator. _

"_Would you care for some tea?"_

"_I am fine."_

"_Alright. You may leave after reporting to Aizen-sama for today."_

_Ulquiorra didn't give another answer to Szayel as he quietly turned around and headed for the back door until a small chime came from the front, alerting both Ulquiorra and Szayel's attention._

"_?"_

_Ulquiorra's eyes grew slightly large at what he had witnessed. Who stood before him, panting and huffing, holding an angry scowl of outright rage, was one of Orihime's school friends. He had been acquainted with that rash ignorant young boy but he did not care to remember his name._

_Ulquiorra soon managed to get his composure back into his usual impassively callous state as he stared and exchanged glances with the raging teenage boy. Ulquiorra silently turned around and gave the steaming boy his full attention; vivid emerald meeting fiery orange._

"_What do you want, boy."_

_Ulquiorra spoke flatly, undaunted nor showing any sign of hesitation as he himself interrogated the young in. Infuriated, Ichigo charged toward the pale man and violently grasped the collar of his white shirt, bringing his enraged scowl only inches away from his cold white indifferent expression. Ulquiorra could see from the corner of his emerald gaze as Szayel jumped out from his seat, ready to jump in and pull them off of each other in haste. Ulquiorra quickly released his hand from his pocket and motioned for Szayel to halt without looking away from the snarling intruder._

_Ichigo caught Ulquiorra's small movement, enraging him even further, feeling his self-esteem slightly defeated. Was this pale freaky bastard really all that good? What did Orihime see in him? What the hell had he done to her?_

"_What the hell did you do to her?"_

_Ichigo gripped tighter as his nails threatened to pierce through his flesh._

"_I'm fucking asking you!"_

"_What is this about? Is this about your school friend, Orihime Inoue? If your reason for such rage is, you are ridiculous. What do you expect me to say to you? Do you expect me to provide you with a deep encouraging story about a positive relationship? Do you expect me to sit here and explain to an ignorant piece of trash like you about how it was much of a misunderstanding? You are a fool. Even more of a fool then that little friend of yours."_

_Ichigo's stern and unforgiving gaze began to shake. His face grew a beet red as his anger consumed his sanity._

"_You are angry because you have realized how weak you are and fail to take care of someone you wish to protect. You are angry at your own foolishness and yet you bring your rage to me who does not concern about that woman's good or existence in the least bit."_

_Ichigo's grip loosened._

"_Wait, wha-"_

_Ulquiorra easily slapped his hands away from his collar as he straightened it out and continued on._

"_Do not misunderstand her foolish impudent babble. I am nothing further related or acquainted to her then a man who works under the same roof as her. You are a weak fool. You are nothing to me as she is. Your conclusive belief that you could solve this internal conflict of yours by coming here shows your ignorance. You are trash. Do not mistake the situation. I do not care for her. I do not wish anything from the woman. Have you ever considered the possibility that her brainless self may be doing as she pleases without my consent? You are a blind fool."_

_Ichigo snapped._

_He swung his fist at the pale man with all of his fuming strength, wanting to kill the bastard. Ichigo saw red as he panted at the rush of adrenaline, glowering at his opponent who had fallen back by the force. Ichigo growled, ready to take him on if he got up and lunged back at him. He took his stance as he saw the pale bastard slowly raise himself off from the ground, calmly and quietly dusting his outfit off. Ichigo waited until he soon met his cold emerald gaze, shocked with disbelief at his flat and unresponsive statement._

"_I presume you are now satisfied."_

_Ichigo watched, dumbstruck, as the pale man finished straightening his black suit out before submerging his hands back into his pockets and turn on his heel. His face had been left unscratched as he turned his gaze back toward Ichigo, speaking dryly. _

"_You will not come again. Heed my warning, boy."_

_With nothing more, Ulquiorra gave the flabbergasted Szayel a small wave of order to clean up the mess before disappearing behind the back door. Ichigo now speechless, watched for a couple of seconds before letting it finally sink in, stomping out of the bar with an exasperated row of vulgar profanity._

_Szayel stood behind his counter with the calculator tightly held against his chest. _

What in the world had just happened?

* * *

"Alright everyone, make sure you have your materials by next class. Class dismissed."

The final school bell rang loudly across the halls as students all jumped from their seats and met their friends with loud chatter. Orihime quietly packed her stuff together until a slam of the classroom door and the energetic call of her name startled her.

"Orihime!"

She watched as Tatsuki happily marched her way towards her desk, weaving through the crowds of lively students.

"Yo Ichigo!"

"Hey."

Orihime slightly flinched at his name and quickly lowered her gaze as she awkwardly rummaged through her papers.

"Watcha doing today?"

"Ah, sorry, running home."

"Why?"

"Just something to do. Catch you guys later, bye."

Ichigo grabbed his bag and swung it over his shoulder before giving Tatsuki a brief wave. He gave Orihime a fleeting moment of eye contact before leaving without looking back. Sensing some awkward strain in their atmosphere, Tatsuki quirked her eyebrow before taking Ichigo's empty chair, sitting herself next to her quiet friend.

"Did something happen between you guys?"

"W-What?!"

Orihime jumped back before quickly bringing her hands out and exaggeratedly denying her accusation.

"N-No! Of course not!"

Tatsuki smiled in concern at Orihime's forced answer. She already had an idea but decided it better not to ask at all. She decided it best to leave it alone until she would bring it up herself. Tatsuki smiled weakly as she changed the subject.

"So, you want to go try out that new café across the street?"

"Ah, sure!"

Orihime forced her best smile at her best friend as they chatted away in delight.

* * *

"_I love you, Inoue."_

"_Eh?"_

"_I love you. I always have so please, let me protect you."_

_He held her tightly as she blankly stared at nothing, her arms limp at her side._

_Her mind was in chaos. What was this? Was this a confession? Shouldn't she be happy? Shouldn't she be overjoyed? Wasn't this the exact moment she had been waiting and dreaming about for all of those four years of secretly loving him? So then why, why did it feel as if her heart had just been shattered after swallowing a dry pill? Why did she feel such an uneasy sorrow down in her gut?_

_Wasn't he the one?_

_They continued to dwell in silence until she finally managed to choke out two desperately heart shattering words, mercilessly stabbing Ichigo in the heart._

"_I'm sorry"_

"…"

_He stalled as he choked on his own breath._

"_I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun, I'm sorry."_

_His mouth grew dry. She was weeping, desperately uttering out her own words. He didn't say this to see her like that. He had failed again. __**He**__ was right. He was foolish._

_Ichigo gently let her go as he quietly wiped her flooding tears away with his thumb, stroking her cheek. She sobbed uncontrollably as she continued to apologize in distress, one after the other. He smiled faintly._

"_Guess I was a bit too late, huh?"_

"_I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun, I'm sorry"_

_He gently placed his hand on top of her head before giving her one last soft smile. He then quietly turned away and walked into the dimly illuminated streets of the lively city, his heart in pieces as the cries of her anguish reverberated into the cold air._

* * *

"What do you want."

Loly sneered at Nnoitora's unwelcome nasally voice.

"Shut the hell up. Now, listen"

Loly sat back in a black rolling chair as she twirled herself around in delight.

"I've found out some really interesting news about Aizen's new princess."

"Pet-sama?"

"Pet-sama? What the hell, you're fucking twisted."

"I don't want to hear that from a slut who can't keep her legs closed."

"Same goes for you. Anyways, shut the fuck up. You wanna fuck that girl, right?"

She heard a momentary silence, taking it as an obvious answer.

"Well, guess what? Skank's a virgin and now Aizen wants her untouched. I think he's gonna sell her off somewhere since the bitch doesn't have any family to search for her anyway. So, here's the deal."

Loly could hear the smacking of tongue over teeth as she continued on.

"You rape the bitch and defile her."

"What the fuck? Are you fucking retarded? How the fuck am I going to do that and take the risk without getting shot in the face for disobeying Aizen?"

"Drugs, masks, and a video camera. That way we can keep Aizen from blaming it on Ulquiorra while giving you the higher position since you'll be the one to show Aizen the stupid slut's true form. Bitch still gets sent away or killed, don't care, Ulquiorra becomes all of mine for losing a part of his position, and you get a higher status as a host."

"Ahahahahaha!"

Loly twirled her hair around as she excitedly bounced around in the black chair. She slightly cringed at Nnoitora's disturbingly shrill laughter, soon grinning for herself.

"So, what do you think?"

"When do I start?"

"Tomorrow."

* * *

**Next chapter: Dun dun dun. Oh no! What will happen to Orihime? Who will be her knight in shining armor to save her? What will happen between her and Ichigo? What the hell is Ulquiorra doing at such an important time like this! Stay tuned for more. **


	23. A Cry for Help

** Chapter 22: A Cry for help**

* * *

"Table six, Inoue-san!"

"Ah, hai!"

Orihime quickly picked up a table rag and efficiently made her way toward her assigned table as she hastily bowed at the leaving glamorized customers.

"Thank you, please come again!"

Orihime ran around the bar vigorously cleaning tables and counters till her feet grew sore and her hands turned red and raw.

"Inoue-san! Deliver these bottles to table three please!"

"Ah, hai!"

The sun continued to set as she ran around and did her chores without rest. She cringed in pain as the bottom sides of her shoes blistered her feet with every chime of the bell, adding another customer after another. She continued to work in haste, eventually forgetting the pain around her feet and hands, mildly enjoying her work with the setting sun.

* * *

"Inoue-san, here."

"Ah, thank you Szayel-kun."

Szayel smiled as he set the teacup down in front of the exhausted and disheveled girl. He honestly wanted to give her a good pat on the back for doing such a good job on an uneventfully busy day.

Szayel sat down in front of the weary girl as he gently picked up his own cup and took a tender sip.

"So, how are you and Ulquiorra?"

Orihime looked up from her cup as she tried to blow at the rising steam, cooling it to her likeable degree. She soon frowned slightly at Szayel's mention of Ulquiorra's name, gently setting the cup back down. Szayel watched with trifling amusement at her gloomy reaction.

"Ano, Szayel-kun?"

"Hmmm?"

"Ano, is he here today?"

Szayel sipped his tea before raising an eyebrow at her obvious question. He could sense that something had happened between them and it made him hesitate before giving her his honest answer.

"Yes, I actually believe he should be back at the bar right now."

She gasped as she gagged and coughed at her drink, painfully burning her tongue. Surprised at her sudden reaction, Szayel quickly got up and handed her a napkin with concern plastered over his face.

"Are you alright Inoue-san?"

Orihime finally managed to cough up a strained 'thank you' before taking the napkin and hacking into it; her tears swelling up in her tightly clamped eyes. Then, she quickly got out of her seat and ran to the counter and reached for her bag.

"I-I'm sorry but I better get going. Thank you for the tea Szayel-kun!"

"Ah, uhm. Sure, Inoue-san."

He watched blankly as she hastily gathered her belongings and whizzed out the door. He felt as if he had triggered a switch inside her which obviously brought unease. Szayel mumbled his small comment of amusement and curiosity, smiling at the swinging doors; the girl already gone and out of sight.

* * *

Orihime frowned as she kept her gaze glued to the ground. She honestly had no idea why she was avoiding him so obviously when he had already informed her (after their argument) that he would still be on the lookout for her. She was guessing it had to do with a part of her subconscious guilt after rejecting Ichigo and realizing how strong her feelings were for him. She was past exhaustion and he just was the last person she wanted to come across after such a hectic day.

Orihime literally shuffled her feet as she power walked down the hall, keeping on the lookout for any possible sign of green. She squinted down a long hallway to her right, carefully observing it inch by inch, until she abruptly ran into someone. Realizing the height of her victim to be immensely tall, she jumped back at least without fear in knowing that it could not be Ulquiorra.

"Ah, gomenasia. I really to watch wh-"

"Good evening, pet-sama."

Bewildered by the unusual nickname, she felt a twinge of fear color her heart. Reluctant to make eye contact, she stared down at her own feet and apologized as she tried to make her way around the uncomfortably daunting man. Much to his hostility, she failed as he mimicked her steps and prevented her from escaping. Orihime frowned in alarm before deciding to turn around and leave using the front door until a large scrawny hand gripped her shoulder.

"Aw, where ya goin'? I just want a little chit-chat pet-sama."

She could feel his breath wash over the nape of her neck, sending shivers down her spine, traumatizing her.

"A-ano, I forgot something and I better hurry or-"

"Ah?"

She whimpered at the sudden force he used to turn her around. She froze on the spot, her knees shaking. She knew who this man was since Szayel had warned her about him when she had first begun working and he was right. It was impossible to escape his straining grip. She kept her eyes glued to the ground, trembling as his presence closed in on her.

"Ya smell nice, princess."

"Oi!"

Orihime perked up at the familiar voice as hope bloomed within her, driving away her fear. Nnoitora snarled in disgust at the unwelcome barking, interrupting his fun. Static blue hair and bright blue eyes flashed past them as Nnoitora growled and backed away.

"The hell do you think you're doin'?"

Nnoitora faltered for a split second before casually waving his hand off into the air, licking his thin lips and retorting sarcastically.

"Now, now. You don't have to be such a wiener. I was just giving our princess a warm welcome."

Grimmjow stood back with his hands casually in his jeans, quirking his eyebrow at the man's blatantly cheeky statement.

"Yeah, well sorry for bein' a wiener but ya better fuck off Nnoi. Princess obviously doesn't like your creepy ass."

Nnoitora grinned as he leaned toward his blue haired companion before whispering darkly.

"We shall see about that, Grimmy."

Grimmjow's temper irked as his personal space was invaded. He readied to drive his hand out and smack the bastards eye patch off until Nnoitora quickly retreated and continued on his way down the hall snickering. Grimmjow silently cursed under his breath as he turned toward the shaken girl.

"Yo."

Orihime glanced up with wide eyes as she fidgeted with her skirt as if she had been caught doing something wrong. Grimmjow frowned as he watched her stand awkwardly in silence. He stood there until he couldn't take the awkwardness eating away at them and motioned for her to follow him.

"Come on. I'll take you home."

* * *

"How've ya been?"

Orihime jumped at Grimmjow's sudden question, startled at its disruption against the calm humming of the engine. She managed to stutter her answer, hoping that Grimmjow hadn't noticed how jumpy she was.

"Al-alright…"

Grimmjow faced the road with a small smile after receiving a small 'okay' from the girl. The silence stirred again as his mind wandered off to a couple hours before.

* * *

"_Yo"_

_Grimmjow walked into the bar with his usual cocky smirk as he plopped himself down next to his favorite person, ready to get his night on with a couple of insults thrown here and there._

"_Sup' cunt."_

_Emerald eyes glanced over with disinterest at his obnoxious greeting. He wasn't in the mood to tolerate any of his foolishness. Grimmjow's grin stretched even further as he leaned back and set his feet on top of the table. Ulquiorra frowned._

"_Put your feet down."_

_Grimmjow ignored the command and lolled his head back in amusement at Ulquiorra's unusually sensitive atmosphere. He wasn't any different from before, but it was only something Grimmjow could sense; like a small tick in the air._

"_So, I heard ya tried to quit your babysitter job for that chick of yours."_

_Ulquiorra only returned silence as he didn't bother to acknowledge his obviously nosy comment. He would usually retort back with his usual indifferent comments, but he just wasn't in the mood for it. Well, more specifically, his mind was cluttered and cluttered meant something was very wrong with him._

_Grimmjow held his smirk, waiting for the usual 'it is none of your concern' bullshit until the only given reply from the stoic man was an irritated sigh._

What the hell?

_Now, Grimmjow felt awkward. Ulquiorra always managed to hurt his overly abundant ego with his flat, straight to the point insults, but this reaction was something completely new. He wasn't sure what to say or do and it was the first time he was a bit taken aback, speechless. Just what exactly was going on? Oh, wait a minute. _

_Grimmjow's shit eating smirk returned, even wider than usual, displaying his sharp canine teeth to the extreme. He breathed out a long sigh before leaning back with his arms sprawled out on top of the brim of the sofa. His icy blue eyes glinted with humor as he stared at the back of Ulquiorra's head. _

"_So…"_

_Grimmjow paused, clearly enjoying the thought of Ulquiorra's possible reaction to his next mischievous comment. _

"_If ya still haven't banged her, can I?"_

_Grimmjow swore he saw the pale man twitch for a split second before he was met with glowering cold emerald eyes._

"_Do not be foolish. You will not touch her. You will not lay a finger on her. You will not approach her with your dirty animalistic urges. You will not approach her presence with any of such intentions. I will rid of your existence if you go into any close proximity with her for such primitive desires. She is to be left untouched. It has been ordered by Aizen-sama and it will be kept as such. Do not test my authority, Grimmjow."_

"_Holy Christ, calm down, damn. I was just fuckin' with you."_

_Ulquiorra kept his dark and daunting gaze on Grimmjow, unhumored by his mockery._

"_But what the fuck is up with you, overreacting like that. You like her or something? Jesus."_

_Overbearing silence dawned over them as Ulquiorra's eyes grew wide for a split second before returning to their usual indifferent and blank state. _

"_Like? What do you infer by using such a word? Are you implying something? Do not be foolish. I have discarded of all human emotions and you acquire to use such a term to insult me? Your idiocy never fails to puzzle me. I do not 'like' that girl. I do not even consider her as a person. I do not see her as anything but a nuisance. She is nothing but a pointless obstacle. She is useless. She is only allowed under my watch because of her debt to Aizen-sama. She is only connected to me because of her debt. She is trash. Do not compare her existence likewise to mine."_

_Grimmjow leaned back into the sofa as he continued to listen to one of Ulquiorra's usual rants until he sighed and smiled in amusement. _

"_Well…"_

_Ulquiorra stared at the smiling man, not a hint of emotion dawning on his cold, pale, and stoic face._

"_Ya know, actually, it kinda sounds like your convincing yourself to me."_

**What?**

_Grimmjow barked a ripping laugh at Ulquiorra's suddenly speechless expression, eyes staring wide in disbelief, too stunned to dare say anything at all. Grimmjow slapped his knee, laughing uncontrollably._

"_I knew it! You're the fuckin' idiot!"_

_It felt as if he had been hit by a ten ton truck, striking him at 160 miles per hour._

**What? I? Convince myself? Nonsense!**

_Grimmjow wiped a tear from his eye as his laughter slowly died down. _

"_Well mister fuckin' smart ass. I gotta' take off so I'll continue laughing at your stupid ass later."_

_Ulquiorra remained silent, frozen with his internal chaotic conflict between reason and logic, fighting to explain Grimmjow's accusation that had hit him right on the spot._

"_Later, fucker."_

* * *

He smirked loudly as he observed the frowning girl from the corner of his eye. Man, he sure wanted to butt in and just tell her that the guy was blind about his own emotions but then again, where would he get another chance like before to catch the pale bastard off guard and leave him speechless like that? He'd smack the pale bastard around a tad bit longer and have his fun until he'd interfere when it became necessary.

"Well, don't mind that creepy guy Nnoi. He's usually just creepy and shit like that. Just come runnin' to me if he ever tries to touch you again, princess."

Orihime looked up at Grimmjow from the window and smiled, appreciating his protective invitation. As strange as it was, the foul-mouthed, rough, rash, and hot tempered man reminded her of her brother, Sora. They were polar opposites and yet, she felt safe with him, like her safety actually mattered. Just as Ulquiorra had said, she may be overstepping her boundaries, expecting someone like Grimmjow to care for her and yet she couldn't help but have faith. And in a long while, Orihime smiled brightly from the heart as she blissfully thanked the grinning man.

"Arigatou-ne, Grimmjow-kun."

Grimmjow stirred in momentary shock, astonished by the girl's smile. He had never seen such a pure and honest one in his life before and it struck him. All his life, he had been around glamourized and flamboyant women, wearing their smiles like they did their clothes and makeup. Laughing and giggling every time he would crack a usual joke here and there, hiding their true scars behind rich black veils. He was dumbstruck. Her smile actually killed something inside of him, urging him to look away, unsure of how to respond to such honest purity.

"Uhm, we're here."

"Ah!"

Orihime quickly grabbed her bag and smiled at Grimmjow one last time, thanking him for the ride. He casually shooed her away with his usual mischievous grin, responding with his usual 'Yeah, yeah, yeah's' and yet, something had changed. He didn't know exactly what it was but the girl had left a warm and cozy feeling in his insides, hazing him into a small bit of joy. He remembered this feeling and it was a feeling he thought he had lost decades ago. And yet, with such a simple smile, she was able to bring it back to life.

Grimmjow chuckled quietly to himself as he took the bright warm glow that had bloomed anew and safely tucked it away, into the deepest and safest parts of his body. Content with tucking it away safely, for the first time in a long while, Grimmjow drove his way home with that small glow of a founded long lost word; happiness.

* * *

Orihime smiled at her feet with each quiet step under the bright blue moonlight. Somehow, she felt happy. She wasn't sure why, but she did. She could feel her brother's warmth radiate within her, assuring that no matter what, everything would be alright.

Filled with a snug glee, she twirled her bag around and swayed her hips, letting her vibrant hair dance with the chilly fall breeze. She knew Grimmjow hadn't particularly said anything but she could feel it. She was thankful, being able to feel his genuine yearning to keep his word. And even though she had regretted that one fateful evening when everything had hit her like a tornado, spiraling her life down to chaos, she was still grateful. She was able to meet so many wonderful people such as the calm and analytically smart Szayel, the bubbly, happy, and cheerful Nel-san, the gruff yet warm hearted Grimmjow, and then finally, _him. _

She was able to meet him.

Being lost in her own delightful thoughts, Orihime pranced toward her apartment. She happily giggled to herself as she searched for her keys; ready to walk in and stretch her body out in a tub of relaxing warm bath water. She finally found her key at the bottom of her school bag and hummed until, suddenly, a forceful hand covered her mouth with a dirty rag.

?!

Orihime panicked on reflex as she dropped her bag with a loud thud, kicking and punching at the unknown possible kidnapper. However, he easily seized her struggles without losing a breath. She tried to call out for help, almost tasting the atrocious rag drenched in chemicals. Her struggling and desperate thrashing slowly died down as her eyes grew hazy, her body losing its strength. Every intake of her breath only hauled in more of the chloroform as her mind grew sleepy, dragging her into darkness. The last thing she remembered witnessing were a pair of golden eyes, hidden behind a hat and a white mask. And before she knew it, she was knocked out dead cold.

The man sighed as the girl had finally stopped writhing around. He pulled out his phone after pulling the girls' arm over and around his shoulder, making it seem like he was helping a drunken friend out. He quietly dialed a number into his phone and waited until he heard a click from the other end along with the squawky demand of a young teenage girl.

"You get her?"

"Yes."

"Come to hotel XXX and room number XXX."

"Yes, I understand."

"Hurry."

"Hai."

* * *

_What was over there?_

_There was nothing._

**I was born in a whorehouse; a pit of darkness and uncertainty. My mother was a rape victim who did not have the money to account for an abortion. And thus, I was born. Yet, pity me not for she took good care of me. She treated me well with gentle care.**

_Under the pressing dark, I felt nothing; only a possible void._

**She fed me, she provided me with shelter, she educated me to the best of her knowledge, and she raised me fulfilling all the basic necessities in raising a child. I can still remember the wrinkles under her eyes when she used to smile at me. How her frail hands used to embrace me; and how her sweet scent used to lull me into a gentle slumber.**

_I was meant to be alone._

**It was when I had turned five that I began to realize the source of her income. I can still remember the moaning, the screaming; the smell of rancid cum and cigarette smoke that reeked from her room. And yet, after every dirty deed she committed herself to, she would just turn right around and face me with that same gentle smile. It disgusted me. I was disgusted. It was as if she was blaming my existence. She was blaming me for being born into the world as only a source of her distress.**

_I have no meaning._

**It happened that one day, when she dropped me off at her step sister's house and informed the child I was, that I would temporarily be under my aunt's care. I knew she was lying. It would not be temporary for I had become a burden. I did not question as to why it was and accepted it wordlessly. She left that day with her usual black hair swaying in the summer breeze, her blue blouse flowing in the wind; suitcase in one hand and a pack of smokes in another. I never saw her again.**

_Why do I exist? For what purpose do I breathe?_

**I did not care though. I had already presumed it would happen. It became much more evident ever since her step sister would spend her empty hours beating me till my body would grow numb with blood filling my lungs. She would scream and bawl for hours, informing me how that woman had run off with her fiancé, leaving me behind; abandoned. Just like her. However, it did not matter. I was not meant to be born into the world from the beginning of time. It did not matter to me.**

_What was my reason to live?_

"_**Ulquiorra-kun!"**_

Ulquiorra's vivid emerald eyes shot open as he sprung from the sofa; his back drenched with sweat, his breathing rugged and dark.

"Hello Ulquiorra. Took a nap I see."

Ulquiorra scanned his environment, realizing he had fallen asleep on the couch of the bar. His eminent frown graced upon his thin pale lips, he glanced at Szayel and questioned him flatly.

"Where is that woman."

"Hmm? Who?"

Szayel momentarily set his red booklet down and glanced up at the frowning man, throwing him a puzzled look.

"Are you inquiring about Inoue-san? I believe she left quite a while ago in haste."

"In haste?"

"Yes. Actually, I presume she left quite quickly in order to avoid you, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra frowned. He didn't understand. He wanted to see her in order to confirm something that had been growing inside of him he had never noticed till recently. He needed to see her as soon as possible. It was violently clawing at him from deep within, driving him over the edge of irritation.

Ulquiorra loosed his tie with furrowed eyebrows as if he was suffocating in his own skin. Szayel, being as keen as he was, sensed Ulquiorra's evident unease and stated indirectly to himself in staged ponder.

"I wonder if Grimmjow dropped Inoue-san off safely…"

Szayel dropped the comment in the air and left it lingering, casually returning to his duties. He picked up his red booklet and smiled victoriously under his white rimmed glasses facing away from the pale man. And in a matter of seconds, just as he had predicted, Ulquiorra had gone and left.

"You truly are amazing Inoue-san."

Szayel softly hummed himself a tune as he continued calculating the week's profit, fascinated beyond any scientific theory he had encountered. Love was ultimately such a powerful thing and yet he worried, knowing that at the end of the story, beauty had killed the beast.

* * *

"Unngh.."

Orange hazel eyes clamped shut tightly together as an immensely fervent headache pounded against her skull. She was nauseas and groggy. Her mind was clouded and muddled, making it difficult for her to regain her train of thought. Then, it hit her. Panic settled into her heart when she had realized she had been blind folded and tied down. Her feet were free to kick about but her wrists were immobile, tied down tightly to a metal bar.

"H-hello?"

Silence.

"H-hello? Is anyone there? Please, help me! Anyone hell-"

It happened again. A forceful warm and bony hand clamped over her mouth, forcing her to swallow her own cries of help. Orihime could feel the tears well up in her eyes, dreadful alarm and terror consuming her whole.

"Mmph!"

Her tears fell over, the cloth over her eyes soaking them up.

"Hey! Get that fucking cord you dumbass."

"Ah, sorry. Here you go."

"Jesus Christ! Anyways, here give this to Nnoi- I mean, J."

Orihime knew that voice. It was definitely a familiar one that had been burned into the back of her mind. It belonged to that girl who had mercilessly beaten her as a warning. She still remembered the way her hoarse voice croaked in hisses and snarls.

"How the fuck do I use this?"

"Ugh!"

Orihime could hear footsteps close in toward her, passing something of a glass container to the man that was on top of her and holding her down. She then heard a pop of the bottle right under her nose, startling her further than necessary.

"You fucking idiot! Cover her mouth so she breathes it in!"

And that was what exactly happened next. She was forced to close her mouth as the container had been pushed up against her nose. She tried holding her breath, afraid of what was in it. Unfortunately, to no avail, she ended up gasping through her nose after nearly turning blue, taking in more than the intended dosage.

"Shit! Ya stupid bitch!"

She ended up coughing brutally against the man's hand, causing him to spill more than half of the bottle.

"Fuck!"

_Slap!_

She felt the violent slap sting against her cheek, feeling the horrifying intensity of the situation finally sinking in. She didn't even allow herself to think of all the possibly terrifying things that could happen to her. Her pulse raced, her heart beating off of the charts, and her fear drowning her soul into a pollution of hell.

"Now then. Don't touch her till I get this video camera set up. It's gonna take a couple minutes for the aphrodisiac to kick in anyway so don't touch her yet."

_Video camera? Aphrodisiac? Was that what they had given her?_

She could hear the man lick his teeth and smack his lips with savage desire, just waiting for the moment to pounce on her and rip away her purity.

"Alright, I've got the camera ready. You can go ahead and start anytime you want to."

Orihime's world crashed. She could feel the man's weight shift the bed as it squeaked with his every movement. And with every squeak, she felt her end nearing. Was this how it was going to be? Was this how it was all going to end for her? Oh god. What had she done so wrong to receive such cruel punishment? Speaking of punishment, what was Ulquiorra doing now? Ah, he must pretty angry at her for avoiding him so obviously. What was Grimmjow doing? He had probably gone somewhere else after dropping her off earlier. By the way, she hadn't seen Nel-san for a while. Oh, how much she wished to see her smile.

Orihime felt the man take his time as he slowly unbuttoned her shirt, plucking one button off at a time.

What was Szayel doing? Probably doing the regular and typing busily on his little mathematical calculator as always. His company was just so pleasant to be around with. He always had a strange habit of correcting the position of his glasses whenever he had something important to say. It was strangely cute in a weird way.

Orihime felt her tears spill uncontrollably as scrawny fingers traced up her leg and thigh, threatening to enter the end of her skirt.

How did things turn out like this? What had she ever done? Was she at fault? Maybe she was. Maybe she was at fault for always picking out those vegetables from her dinner or forgetting to make her bed in the morning every day. Maybe she was at fault for sometimes procrastinating assignments because she was too lazy. Maybe this was her punishment for always eating more red bean paste rather than real meals.

"Pet-sama."

Shock traveled down her spine as the pleasure began to take place from the drug.

Was this for the sake of her friends as well? Did she have to sacrifice all of herself? Was she so weak that she had to go so far in order to protect her loved ones? No. She didn't want this. She wished for anything and everything except for this. She didn't want to. Just not this. No. No. No. She didn't want this. She didn't want this.

_Ulquiorra-kun, please. Save me. Please._

* * *

**A/N: Oh God. Will he make it in time? Where is Ulquiorra? What will happen to Orihime? D:**


	24. Tainted

**A/N: Please enjoy and reviews are always appreciated! Rated M for a reason! **

* * *

**Chapter 24: Tainted**

* * *

The air was cold. Ulquiorra frowned as he looked up into the smoggy night sky of the animated city. He had taken note of Szayel's obvious push on the back to go and see the girl but he couldn't believe he had taken the bait so obviously. It was his first time in his whole life he had felt a tinge of shame. His internal logic and reason tried to look for an explanation to the way he felt. Wait, felt? What did he mean by such language? Emotion? He had discarded of such things since the last time he could remember and yet his logic was eroding away.

Ulquiorra opened the door to his car and swiftly settled into his driver's seat. He then pulled out his black mobile phone, dialing in a number and waited for the other end to answer.

"What the hell? Is mister tight ass really calling me?"

"Grimmjow."

"Hahaha! Sup cunt?"

Ulquiorra's eyebrow twitched.

"Where is she?"

"What? Ugh-just give me a second."

Ulquiorra could hear from Grimmjow's end a girl's whining voice along with disturbing grunts here and there. Ulquiorra waited patiently with his internal disgust hidden behind his ghastly stoic façade.

"Mind me callin' your ass a couple later?"

"Tell me."

"What? Ya mean about the princess? I dropped her off just a couple of minutes ago."

Ulquiorra heard soft shuffling and a silent moan along with a couple of comments telling the girl to stop.

"I dropped her off since-Would ya fuckin' stop it! Anyways. Nnoi was harrasin' her earlier when I happened to walk by. She seemed pretty damn shaken up so I offered her a ride home."

"Alright."

Ulquiorra hung up the call as quickly as he had answered and roared his engine to life, pulling out and skidding out into the highway.

_Beep beep beep-_

Grimmjow held the phone to his ear, speechless that his pale friend had hung up on him in such haste. It wasn't unusual that he had hung up the phone without a goodbye but, he would be lying if he had said he hadn't noticed the bleak urgency within his voice. Had something happened?

"Hey, get off of me ya slut."

"Wha-"

Grimmjow brushed off his one night partner and pulled out his phone.

"Yes?"

"Yo, Szayel."

"Ah, good evening Grimmjow. What business do you have with me?"

"Do you know where Nnoi is?"

"At this moment, no. I believe he left following right after you had."

"Wait, what do you mean? He left right after I did?"

"Yes, he did which I found a bit strange since he still had about three or more appointments ahead of him. I don't believe Aizen-sama had dismissed him either for the night."

"Szayel, do you have Orihime's address available to all of the coworkers?"

"Well, not particularly but if someone would want it, they could obtain it quite easily."

It finally clicked.

"SHIT!"

Szayel stared gaping at the phone, baffled by Grimmjow's sudden burst. After regaining his thought process, a sinking feeling of unease landed within him. His expression grew dark as his white rimmed glasses reflected the blinding light.

"…Hurry Grimmjow, Ulquiorra…"

* * *

"Ungh…Please don't."

"Shut yer fuckin' mouth."

Orihime's heart thundered against her chest. Her throat ran dry and her mind burned with panic and desperation. Her eyes stung with tears under the blind fold as her mouth went dry. Nnoitora ran his hand up her leg and to her thigh, breathing heavily into her ear.

"You smell delicious, pet-sama."

Orihime whined in protest but to no avail. She tried to kick him off, or even scoot away from the raw unwelcome touch of violation, only to stir his desire even further. She could feel the disturbing hot breath that tingled the side of her neck as he dangerously hovered over her pulsating flesh.

"Open your legs."

Orihime's heart dropped to her gut. Only a muffled grunt and tight squeeze of her knees showed her reluctance.

Nnoitora growled and quickly reached over to the bed stand, grabbing hold of his pocket knife and flicking it's blade out.

"You better listen to me before I carve up that pretty little face of yours."

She felt the cold tip of the weapon sink into her cheek, only a slice away from puncturing her vulnerable skin.

"That's a good girl."

"Hurry up for fuck's sake. You don't have all fucking day!"

"Shut the fuck up, I want to enjoy my meal as much as possible."

Orihime could feel the way Loly must have rolled her eyes at Nnoitora's comment. And now, she could feel the drug taking its toll on her body. Her face grew dark with heat and her ears were ringing. A wet sensation bloomed in between her legs like she had to use the restroom and her body trembled with every foreign touch, sending undesired shivers down her spine.

"Well then, pet-sama. I hope you don't faint on me since I won't be as gentle as you probably wish. But, don't worry. I'll make sure you enjoy this to the fullest."

Feeling the metal shackles cutting into the skin of her frail wrists, she yelped helplessly unbeknownst of what was to come. She could feel the way the man on top of her snickered, ready to pull down her underwear when-

**BANG!**

The door of the motel room was forcefully kicked down and entered a panting Grimmjow followed shortly by Ulquiorra. Grimmjow briskly scanned the room, witnessing the brightly flushed girl sprawled out on the bed, bind and blindfolded. Her wrists were wounded black and blue as her shirt had been torn apart. Her trembling figure knew no tomorrow as Nnoitora lay on top of her, dumbfounded yet evidently ready to devour her whole. Completely thrown off guard by the intrusion, Nnoitora momentarily stopped all action as he took in a moment to glance over at the two intruders. Red handed, Nnoitora quickly shoved himself off of the girl and gripped his knife.

Loly and Menoly, who had been videotaping this demise, dropped their material in comic shock. Loly stood frozen against the wall as she witnessed Menoly being thrown across the room, going unconscious.

Grimmjow saw red. Yes, he was a heartless bastard at times but he had to say this low handed vile demented part of crime made him sick to his fucking balls. He quickly ridded of the two girls and took his stance, ready for the oncoming attack from Nnoitora, who had his knife pointed point blank at Grimmjow. He easily dodged the rushed attack and swiftly turned the opportunity around by landing a perfect dropkick flat onto Nnoitora's face. The knife skidded across the floor as Nnoitora screamed in pain, grabbing his broken nose in agony. Then, without a split moment of hesitation, he was well served another 360 degree round house kick, flying into unconsciousness.

"Tch'," Grimmjow spat as he stood over Nnoitora's limp unconscious body. "What a fuckin' piece of shit."

"Ungh." Grimmjow whipped around at the sound of a groan and realized that they still had company. Loly was crawling her way out, leaving her friend behind, gripping onto the wall for support. He quietly sauntered over with a chilling smile, cracking his neck and shoulders with each footstep.

The horror shadowed over the quivering girl as she fell to her knees, hastily bringing her hands up to her face for useless protection.

"Wa-wait! Y-You don't want to fucking hurt me! D-Do you know who the hell I am!?"

Grimmjow's canine teeth glowed as he snarled with sadistic joy. The icy clear blue eyes piercing the trembling girl with every footstep, only a mere arms reach away.

"You-You don't know what you're doing!"

Loly glowered at the giant man who was now towering over her, fearing for the worse when-

"Boo."

"Kyaaaaaaaaaa!"

Grimmjow snorted at the petty girl who trembled pitifully, protecting herself with her two scrawny arms. He would have as hell as liked to slap the bitch to the next blue moon but she was too much of a waste of time for now. He'd save that moment for later.

"Stupid slut."

Realizing that Grimmjow had only mocked to scare her, she quickly got to her two feet after Grimmjow had turned his back to her.

"Y-You are all going to regret this!"

Grimmjow slammed his foot down onto the video camera and watched coldly as the tape smashed into pieces, snorting at her comment.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, heard that shit before."

Shouting out her last pathetic remark, Loly quickly staggered out the door along with her semi unconscious friend limping along behind her. Grimmjow stood ground as he watched the two girls clumsily crawl out the door and out of his sight. He then wordlessly glanced over at the currently unconscious Nnoitora and threw the question at Ulquiorra.

"What do you wanna do about this fucker?"

Ulquiorra slowly gazed over toward Grimmjow's direction. "Take him and make sure you keep him unconscious. We will deal with him later."

"Aight."

With that, Grimmjow heavily picked up Nnoitora as he swung a scrawny arm around his neck and dragged his heavy body out the door. He halted midway through the doorway, throwing a glance back at the ghastly stoic man. "Ya gonna be alright?"

Ulquiorra only remained motionless before giving him a simple nod. Understanding his need to be alone with the girl, without another word, Grimmjow made his exit. With the click of the door locking, Ulquiorra turned his attention back to the girl.

"Woman…"

"Unngh.."

The girl was drugged. Her once clear and sparkling grey orbs had lost its life, now hazy and foggy. Her breathing was heavy and her body was hot with an artificial fever. Ulquiorra quickly scanned her body to make sure no serious harm had been done. While doing so, his emerald eyes soon met her hazed gaze as she breathlessly squirmed in her binds. Ulquiorra silently took his top blazer off and covered the girl, almost gently, before helping her untie her wrists.

"Woman, get up."

Ulquiorra commanded the girl and waited for her response. When she did not give him any movement, he gently put his arm under her head to lift the girl up until she shrieked.

"Don't touch me!"

Abruptly, Ulquiorra stopped his hand.

"…Please, I feel so weird. So please, just, leave me Ulquiorra-kun."

Tears began to well up in her hazy gaze as she curled herself up into a ball, grasping onto Ulquiorra's blazer for comfort. Ulquiorra sighed as his firm stare fixated onto the girls trembling form.

"Woman, they have drugged you with a sexual stimulant. The reactions your body releases are only a natural part of the process, therefore even though it may be an unfamiliar and uncomfortable experience for you, you need to cooperate with me if you wish to get out of here."

Ulquiorra waited for her response patiently.

The weight shifted on the bed as Orihime finally lifted herself off from the sheets, grasping onto the arm of the blazer that had been draped over her shoulders.

"I understand…"

Taking in her body language granting permission, he quietly stood and easily picked up the frail girl. He then wrapped his arm around under her knees and the other under her shoulders. She clung onto his neck, resting her much heavy and exhausted head onto his broad shoulder as she breathed heavily into the crook of his clavicle.

"I-I'm sorry..."A breathy apology brushed past Ulquiorra's pulse as he ignored her desperate cries. "I-I'm so sorry Ulquiorra-kun." The man only silently closed his eyes as he exited the dim room, carrying the trembling girl safely in his arms.

* * *

The girl panted heavily as Ulquiorra wordlessly carried her into his apartment. She clawed helplessly on his chest, whimpering in miserable gasps. He could feel the way she trembled against him, her face flushed red and her breathing rugged.

Unable to turn on his lights, Ulquiorra slipped out of his shoes and walked toward his bed, holding her closely. He quietly looked down at her feverish face before kneeling down against the bed frame, watching her eyes shoot open in alarm.

"U-Ulquiorra-kun?" She breathed his name out heavily.

"Woman…"

Ulquiorra gently dropped her frail form onto the white sheets of his bed. He watched as her head lolled back, her golden locks sliding over her shoulders as her blue pins hung loosely in her hair. Her face tinted with a blush, traveling down to her collar and disappearing to a faint pink near her breasts.

Ulquiorra slid his hands under and out from the girl after laying her down. "Woman, I am going to leave you to calm you down. Take a shower if you are in need of one. I will be away but in close proximity. Call me if you are in need of an emergency." He stood back up from his knees before placing his hands back into his pockets, ready to leave. Receiving no response at all, he turned his back when a bleak voice called out his name under the deathly silence.

"Ul-Ulquiorra-kun…"

She caught his sleeve and he froze in his tracks.

"Please…"

His emerald gaze slowly turned toward the girl, his body still turned away; his expression as impassive and pale as ever. His piercing jade eyes glanced down at the girl and watched her hair fall over her shoulders, her gaze boring downward into the ground.

"I'm sorry, but…"

Her grasp on his sleeve trembled as she quietly began to weep, her voice cracking in despair.

"I-I'm sorry but please Ulquiorra-kun…"

His impassive and dry expression was still in place, unaffected by her plead and yet, not one would have realized Ulquiorra's hidden bloody grip within his pockets. No one would have noticed the hidden turmoil deep within the darkest pits of his insides; the hidden chaos that had bred itself within his tainted soul.

He turned away from the helplessly shaking girl and gently closed his eyes, his pale delicate features enunciating his everlasting frown even more. She continued to grasp onto his arm, sniffling at the unusual sensation pulsing through her body. She was scared. She was terrified. And all she could do was desperately reach out for help. She wouldn't mind him slapping her hand away and leaving her to wither in her own torment, disgusted with her plea, and yet, with a spark of desire she still reached out for his help.

Orihime lowered her head even more as she now painfully dug her nails into her own palm, ashamed and terrified of her very own existence. The silence ate away at her sanity, making it unbearable for her to even breathe.

She was at her limit.

"Please, I beg you Ulquiorra-kun."

The silence buzzed in her ears. She received no reaction, no response. Just the bitter hushing of a dead night and the ticking of a clock.

She waited, for that simple spark of hope to become a flare. However, to no avail, she felt her tear meet the ground and die with a faint thud. What was she expecting? She shouldn't embarrass herself anymore. Her tight grip quickly lost its life as her sanity drained away, filling the gaping holes within her with nothing but darkness. Her gaze grew dull as her burning body scorched her to the core.

She let go of his sleeve and pulled her knees closely into her chest. "I-I'm sorry. I-I'm, I don't know what I was…I-Nevermind Ulquiorra-kun. I-I'll be fine. Thank you."

She hugged herself with all of her strength, waiting for the man to finally leave.

She was a fool.

How dare she?

"Woman."

The ringing in her ears and the overwhelming foreign sensation shackled her to her dirtiest desires. She looked away, ashamed but most of all, scared.

"Do not test me."

And without another moment of hesitation, Ulquiorra whipped around and grabbed her frail shoulder with a strong hand. Petrified by the sudden impulse, Orihime whined in pain but before she could protest, Ulquiorra grabbed her by the face and kissed her deeply.

Her fists clenched by reflex as her grey orbs shook. The man quickly broke the kiss just as quickly he had taken her lips in.

"Do you realize what you are asking for?" The man looked dead straight into pools of quivering grey with raw intensity. The girl only furrowed her eyebrows in response, unable to muster up any coherent words.

"What your naivety believes and what I expect cannot be compared."

Orihime lay silent within his grasp, her face flushed brightly and burning to the touch. She opened her mouth to speak, but failed. Ulquiorra observed her carefully, taking in every detail. Taking in every upturn and twitch of her features, looking for that one hint of hesitation; that split second of fear to flicker. And yet, "Ulquiorra-kun," Orihime breathed out. "I'm sorry, but I-"

"You will regret this, woman."

And in the blink of an eye, he crashed his lips with hers.

"Ul-Ulquiorra-kun,"

The heated kisses showered down her neck as Ulquiorra slicked his tongue over her raw flesh, tasting her in whole. He quietly slid the blue pins out of her vibrant orange locks, placing them next to the bed stand. He kissed her deeply, rocking his body back and forth against hers. Losing breath, Orihime broke the kiss and panted for air only to be devoured again without rest.

"Wai-mmph." Ulquiorra covered her mouth and kept her busy as his hands worked their way to unbuttoning her shirt. He quickly ripped her from her garments and made his way to massaging her volumtuous breasts.

"Ungh!-" Orihime moaned into the kiss, rocking her hips toward her partner. She was still halfway clothed and it was driving her insane. The wet sensation between her legs soaked through as pale fingers soon found their way down to the opening of her heated entry.

Orihime's breathing hitched as she once again broke away from the kiss and shot a hand down towards the uncomfortable intrusion. "W-Wait, Ul-" Ulquiorra quickly stopped her from blocking his hand and instead took his chance to firmly plant her arm down next to her head. Her tear filled gaze quivered fearfully, clamping shut as the man ran his thumb over her naked entrance.

"Ah!" Orihime moaned as she jerked her body up and further into the foreign touch. She breathed erratically as he lowered his lips to her neck, sucking in her pulse gently while stroking his fingers up and down her twitching hole.

He felt the way her hips rocked into his hand, speaking clearly for her inner desires that had been lit alive. He whispered darkly into her ear, "woman," feeling his own animalistic urge to ravage her unconditionally going out of his control. Her hot breath washed over his ghastly skin, nearly scalding his pale exterior. And then, without warning, he inserted a single digit into her entrance. "Ulquiorra-kun, ungh-" She bucked into his hand as he slowly moved his digit in and out of her. "I-It hurts." She quickly wrapped her arms around the man and desperately clung onto his frame as she moaned uncontrollably.

Ulquiorra's features were perfectly still, never once flickering with overflowing lust. His piercing pools of green observed the panting girl carefully as he entered in his second digit. "Ah-" She flinched and then shuddered, letting loose tears stain her flushed face.

"Ulquiorra-kun, I-I can't anymore." Ulquiorra stopped all movement, slowly taking in her alluring disheveled form that nearly drove his usually composed sanity off to the edge. He slipped out his fingers and watched her form twitch at the sudden absence of his hand. He was about to question the girl if she wanted to stop, noting the fact that she may have regained her reason with the effects of the drug wearing off.

"Woman, I am leav-" Ulquiorra swallowed his words. His usually pale and stoic face showed a flicker of devastating conflict as his eyes widened in abrupt alarm. She had her arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace, digging her face into the crook of his neck. And as if the world around him had shattered with the noisy buzz of the silence, she whispered ever so softly into his ear.

"I love you, Ulquiorra-kun."

And for the first time, he had had remembered the painful pang that reverberated within his chest.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry I'm such a tease with the smut. And I know some of you are going to ask me if she will or has lost her V-card but I guess you'll just have to find out the next chapter! Please don't shoot me.**

**Reviews will speed it up the update by the way! **


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